A new accessible parking spot is pulling into downtown Timmins.
In the coming weeks, a parking spot on Third Avenue in front of the Timmins Academic Family Health Team is being changed from a regular metered spot to an accessible one.
The change approved at the Aug. 13 Timmins council meeting comes after the outpatient Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) moved from Timmins and District Hospital to the health team at 123 Third Ave. in June.
RELATED: Virtual care program moving from Timmins hospital to family health team
Because the office frequently has patients needing accessibility considerations, staff reached out to the city to designate a parking spot.
“From the city’s perspective, this change would be negligible from an operations and financial standpoint,” said clerk Steph Palmateer at the meeting.
Overall, Palmateer believes the city has adequate accessible parking spots in the downtown area.
"I haven’t seen any indication that we don’t. There certainly hasn’t been significant requests for additional accessible spaces in the downtown, keeping in mind that people with a valid accessible parking permit can park at a metred spot for free. It hasn’t been an issue,” he said.
As the new accessible parking spot transitions from a metered spot in the next couple of weeks, Palmateer said local businesses will be notified about the change.
As for overall parking situation in downtown Timmins, Coun. Cory Robin — who is also the Downtown Timmins BIA executive director — said there are over 1,100 parking spots within a four-minute walk of his council chamber chair in city hall.
