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Sgt. Greg Gilfus, the Auburn Police Department's traffic enforcement coordinator, presented a plan at the Auburn City Council meeting Thursday to address parking concerns near Auburn Community Hospital.

The presentation included photos of side streets near the hospital. The images show multiple vehicles parked on Cady Street, Curtis Place, Liberty Street, Nelson Street and Park Avenue.

While there are some patients and residents who are parking on side streets, Gilfus said most of the vehicles belong to hospital employees.

The plan outlined by Gilfus would add a time limit to street parking in the area near the hospital. Motorists would be charged a fee that would be paid using the Pango app, which the city uses to collect mobile parking payments.

According to the proposal, Cady Street, Curtis Place and Liberty Street would be among the streets covered by the regulation. It would also apply to a portion of Lansing Street between Nelson and North Fulton streets, as well as Nelson Street between Lansing and Seymour streets and Park Avenue between Nelson and North streets.

Gilfus suggested extending it to other streets, including Holley Street and a portion of Park Avenue east of Nelson Street. That would be a proactive step in preventing drivers from parking there to avoid the fees.

If adopted, the restriction would be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Residents could obtain a permit that would allow them to park on the streets at no cost.

The complaints, according to Gilfus, include drivers parking on the grass in some areas. There have also been issues with drivers parking on the wrong side of the street. Whenever they attempt to have a vehicle moved, the owner is at the hospital.

"Not looking at the money side of it, it's just trying to get the regulation side of it and maybe you get people to park where they're supposed to park," said Gilfus, who believes it would help provide relief to residents who live near the hospital.

The City Council did not vote on the proposal at the meeting Thursday. Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino commented that he agrees "with the premise of why you're doing it," noting that residents have come to City Hall "repeatedly furious because they can't get out of their driveway."

"The hospital hasn't really been cooperative in trying to address that," Giannettino said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Auburn Community Hospital said they "recognize, due to tremendous growth, improved services and the addition of jobs (at the hospital), more people are parking in our surrounding community."

The spokesperson continued, "Our long-term master plan is a positive and proactive initiative that involves obtaining and expanding parking spaces. We have taken many measures to work on this, including communicating regularly with employees in our newsletter to use parking lots with a shuttle service and even moving offices offsite with available parking at those locations.

"We appreciate our neighbors being supportive and understanding while Auburn Community Hospital works hard on long-term solutions that have been part of our master plan. Auburn Community Hospital is always open to having conversations with friends from our community about how we are working hard to expand parking for patients, employees and visitors."

Parking concerns were raised before the cancer center was built on the hospital's property. The facility, which opened in 2024, occupies land that was formerly a 150-space parking lot used by patients and staff.

Before construction began, the hospital commissioned a study that found "the proposed parking supply will be adequate to accommodate the projected parking demands for the proposed project."

Auburn Community Hospital, which has more than 1,300 employees, has launched a $50 million capital campaign. One of its planned projects is an expanded parking facility.