By Megan Kelley

Review Writer

Lake Orion’s Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors met May 10 for their regularly scheduled meeting and discussed what is consistently rated the top issue in the village: parking.

As plans to build a parking deck in the downtown move forward, one of the items on the docket for the meeting was approving a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new parking study.

Though the information was not immediately available, DDA Executive Director Molly LaLone estimated that the DDA had not done a parking study since 2016.

“It’s been a while. Every three to five years is when we’re supposed to get a parking study update so we are due for one,” LaLone said. “I would like us to do this in conjunction with the parking deck to make sure that we understand our situation completely and we understand the investment that we are making.”

In addition to the RFP, the board also selected four members to make up the interview and evaluation team: directors Lloyd Coe, Hank Lorant, Alana Campbell and Sam Caruso.

The DDA is expected to receive all proposals by June 16 with the final selection on July 12.

The DDA and Village of Lake Orion have proposed constructing a parking deck over the current Children’s Park parking lot on Anderson and Front streets.