As part of Roswell’s ongoing effort to manage parking demand and support downtown vitality, City Council voted 4–2 on Monday, March 9, to approve a resolution that expands the list of locations designated for paid or restricted parking, as well as approving a pilot program for the Green Street Parking Deck and City-managed, on-street parking locations through the end of 2026. Decisions regarding parking at City Hall and the forthcoming Hillrose development across from City Hall were deferred pending additional staff data.
The action builds upon authority granted under Article 22.3 of the Roswell Code of Ordinances, originally adopted in 2019, which allows the City to establish and regulate designated paid, on-street parking areas and enforce parking time limits through civil fines. In 2025, the ordinance was amended to allow paid and regulated parking in City-controlled, off-street areas.
The City’s parking system currently manages more than 1,000 parking spaces across multiple downtown locations. The Green Street Parking Deck, currently under construction and expected to open in May 2026, will add 395 spaces, while the planned HillRose multi-use development being built adjacent to City Hall will expand parking by another 350 spaces in a City-owned deck, plus surface and shared City Hall parking.
Pilot Program: Approved Locations and Implementation
City Council approved the following locations as part of the downtown parking pilot program, which will run through December 31, 2026. The City anticipates that the pilot will provide real data across both no-charge and paid models, helping leaders make quality decisions that will benefit residents and businesses.
The resolution includes previously identified 2025 locations:
- Canton Street between Magnolia Street and Norcross Street
- Elizabeth Way between Canton Street and Alpharetta Highway
- East Alley between Canton Street and Norcross Street
- East Alley Parking Lot
- Old Mill Park Parking Lot (not shown on map)
Additional locations approved on March 9 include:
- Green Street Parking Deck and Surface Lot, a new 395-space facility currently under construction and expected to open in May 2026.
- 1056 Green Street, a gravel lot across from the forthcoming parking deck. During the March 9 meeting, City Council directed staff to transition the 66-space gravel lot to a dedicated employee/business parking lot to support downtown businesses.
Parking fees, which have not yet been determined, will be established by the City Administrator using a dynamic pricing model. This data-driven strategy adjusts rates in real time based on demand, occupancy, time of day, and other utilization factors.
Green Street Parking Deck (Expected to Open Summer 2026)
- Parking will be at no charge Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., giving the City baseline data on utilization.
- Parking fees will apply on weekday evenings and all day on weekends, providing comparative utilization data.
- All parkers — residents and non-residents alike — will pay the same rates during paid hours.
- An earlier concept that would have allowed Roswell residents to park at no charge was not carried forward, as distinguishing residents from non-residents at scale across a city of nearly 100,000 people was deemed operationally unfeasible.
On-Street Parking in Downtown
- Since 2019, parking on Canton Street, Elizabeth Way, and East Alley has been paid hourly, with rates varying based on the time of day and length of stay. In some cases, the first hour has been at no charge, with hourly charges applied after that depending on the day and time.
- Under the pilot program beginning in spring 2026, on-street parking in these areas will shift to paid parking for each hour, with no no-charge first hour.
Deferred Items: Hillrose and City Hall Parking Under Consideration
During their meeting on March 9, City Council requested that staff bring back additional information and evaluation on several parking locations before final policy decisions are made. These areas — the Hillrose Parking Deck, Hillrose surface parking lots, on-street parking on Hill Street between Atlanta Street and Forrest Street, City Hall parking lots, and Cultural Arts Center parking lots — are under consideration for future discussion with the Council.
The Hillrose mixed-use development, planned adjacent to City Hall on Hill Street, will include approximately 80,000 square feet of commercial space, a mix of residential options including up to 143 multi-family apartments and 14 townhomes, public gathering areas, and approximately 485 parking spaces, including a City-owned parking structure designed to serve the development, City Hall, and the surrounding downtown area.
While technology and infrastructure planning for Hillrose proceeds in the near term, policy decisions for these locations are expected to return to the Council within approximately two months, at which point additional community input will be incorporated into the discussion.
Next Steps
City staff will begin coordinating the phased implementation of the approved parking areas, including signage, technology deployment, and public information updates.
Additional details about the pilot program and implementation timing will be shared with the community as the program moves forward.
Staff will also conduct public outreach on the Hillrose and City Hall parking policies, with those decisions expected to return to the Council within approximately two months.