SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Getting the best spot in the parking lot might cost you a few dollars the next time you head to the mall.<\/p>\n
The Shops at La Cantera has designated 250 parking spaces as \u201cPreferred Paid Parking,\u201d a spokesperson told KSAT 12.<\/p>\n
The spaces are located near the restaurant zone on the east and south side of the shopping center, and the spokesperson said make up less than five percent of all parking available at La Cantera.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the decision has sparked community debate about whether shoppers should have to pay to park at the mall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s a little insane, considering it\u2019s been around for a while and then out of nowhere one day we\u2019re just having to pay for parking,\u201d shopper Selena Gardea said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parking in one of the preferred spaces costs $2 per hour, with a $10 cap if you are parked in the spaces for over 5 hours.<\/p>\n
As stores become busier during the holidays, some shoppers said that the preferred spots offer a little convenience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like it, especially during the holidays,\u201d shopper Elizabeth Langston said. \u201cIt\u2019s super crowded here, so it\u2019s only five bucks, it\u2019s convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
KSAT 12 spoke to more than a dozen shoppers in the La Cantera parking lot, and saw multiple people decide to park in the preferred spaces after telling us they would \u201cabsolutely not\u201d pay for parking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s perspective,\u201d Amanda Madrano said. \u201cThe girlfriend who gets frustrated and doesn\u2019t want to walk a mile, I\u2019m like, I will pay the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even those who chose not to park in preferred spaces acknowledged that they might in the future to combat traffic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI almost wanted to pay for the preferred parking just so I could get a good spot,\u201d Anthony Flammia said, \u201cbecause the parking was ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other people mentioned that the feeling of safety drove them to pay for parking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where you pick and choose,\u201d Ruth Agueros said. \u201cDo you want close parking, being a woman, or do you want further out parking? Because safety is probably number one.\u201d<\/p>\n
La Cantera said that 10 percent of parking proceeds will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.<\/p>\n
The website says this is being done for a limited time, but a spokesperson said that it will become permanent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did see that when I was paying,\u201d Agueros said, \u201dand it kinda made me feel okay with it.”<\/p>\n
Even with the donation, multiple people expressed discontent with the mall attempting to get people to pay for parking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they\u2019re doing ten percent, they could do twenty percent,\u201d shopper Enoch Gutierrez said. \u201cThey could certainly give more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still taking away from the middle class,\u201d shopper Selena Gardea said. \u201cThey\u2019re already coming here to spend money, and now they have to spend extra money just to park.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read also:<\/p>\n
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