Pay to Park?

I see that the City Council has voted to allow certain residents to pay $50 for an annual permit allowing them to park after-hours and overtime at city meters. Apparently an attempt to raise revenue while reserving downtown parking for local residents, the plan leaves something to be desired. After all, it creates no new parking, so during daylight hours the parking situation remains unchanged. Except, that is, for those with the new parking permits who can leave their cars at a metered space overnight, and into the daylight hours. What to do?

We could utilize the site of the former Jefferson School for parking. This would allow the city to raise revenue from parking fees, and ease the parking crunch in the downtown area. Once the building is razed, nobody would be able to claim the property looks forbidding, or fortress-like.