Arny Rodriguez tells his side of the parking story:

My personal and professional supporters encouraged me to respond to the inaccuracies and personal attacks I am receiving here. I hesitate to answer the accusations considering the biased source.

Let me start by asking why none of you have come to talk to me about your concerns. Is it because there’s no place to park?
When I agreed to serve six months as chairman of the DDA, I learned the process. The State of Michigan DDA funds the local DDAs monies for downtown development, which includes maintenance, snow removal, and improvements to develop downtown.

The City Council approves or disapproves the project spending. The city does the work and invoices the DDA for the services provided.

A parking study was made then and the city was found lacking. Parking lot leases were never discussed while I was chairman.
The office building behind my parking lot has its own lot and private drive owned by Dr. Paul Ingles, all of which was sold to him by Dr. Bruce Sexton. Bruce offered me the lot between Acqua In Vino and the library and the private drive before he retired. After researching and speaking with PCI, we discovered that the office building needed the access of the private drive so the property would not be landlocked.

So, for the convenience of MY customers, I decided the parking lot would be a wise investment. Bruce had an agreement with the city for light maintenance and plowing. He was still responsible for taxes, insurance and upkeep.

Upon my purchase, I spoke with the DDA and got their support for a lease and presented it to the council for consideration. At their next meeting, the mayor called for a motion three times to approve and no motion was made – it died on the floor.

After expressing my disappointment with the Council’s non decision and how it would hurt the downtown businesses, I was told by the then Mayor Pro Tem, “We are not here for the convenience of the people of Wayland.”

That night I closed off the alley behind my store. Perhaps you’ve seen the sign.
It wasn’t until this last year that I instituted pay to park in the lot. My customers were arriving at the store with no place to park. Everyone else was using it. I spoke with every business on Main that uses the parking lot and asked for their participation since their customers were taking up the spaces. No one has stepped forward yet.
Perhaps the accusation that hurts the most is that I am not concerned with the safety of the residents and children of Wayland. I personally make sure all my properties are safe for everyone.

When the lot was open, cars would speed through like it was a main road. Signs were put up to encourage drivers to be aware of children not only present at the office building but also the library and sidewalks.

Requiring the office building patrons to use the private drive has slowed the traffic down making it safer for the children. I’ve had the fire department inspect the properties and food trailer to ensure safety and compliance. I had the city grind the sidewalks around my TPS building making them safer for school children to walk.
Lastly, the name of my store is Acqua In Vino, Italian for water into wine. Note the spelling.

Any Rodriguez, Owner, Acqua In Vino