Why is Columbus State charging for parking?
Columbus State has decided to monetize their parking lots with the help of third-party vendor SP+. They are doing so because they have just over 5,000 parking spaces for over 25,000 students and over 2,000 employees, and are finding it necessary to enforce parking policies.
How will customers pay for parking?
Parking will be monetized for those who are not students or staff via the Parking.com app downloaded to a smart phone (similar to city on-street parking). Parking policies will be enforced by electronic license plate readers. Pay-by-app parking begins with the summer semester on May 29, 2023.
What is the anticipated hourly rate for parking?
The anticipated charge for non-students in CSCC lots is $2 per parking space for the first hour and $1 for each hour after that. The fees will be in place seven days a week.
What does this mean for St. Patrick Church?
We have negotiated a discounted rate with CSCC as a neighborhood community partner, and will be leasing one or more complete parking lots at times when St. Patrick has high demand for parking (such as on Sunday mornings), so that parishioners can park in these lots without the need for an app. After consultation with Pastoral and Finance Councils and parish staff, it was unanimously agreed that leasing these parking lots outright during peak hours is the best solution to support our families’ attendance at Mass and other functions. Direct leasing alleviates the need for you to use the Parking.com app for these parish liturgies and events.
How will we know when St. Patrick has leased a CSCC parking lot?
We will place portable signs at the parking lot entrances indicating that a parking lot is for St. Patrick Church parking only during the times we are leasing the lots.
How much parking does St. Patrick use on weekends, Holy Days, and other parish events?
Our St. Patrick parking lot has 50 spaces (not including clergy parking spaces). At peak usage on Sunday mornings (during the 9am, 10:30am, and 12 noon Masses) we use about 250 total parking spaces. We also need more than our own 50 spaces for evening Masses on holy days of obligation, during the Easter Triduum, during our Fish Frys/Stations of the Cross, and on our St. Patrick Feast Day Vigil Mass, along with some other special events. However, during most of our regular weekday evening events (such as youth ministry, choir, RCIA, American Heritage Girls) all or most of our cars can fit in our own lot.
What is the cost to St. Patrick to lease parking lots from CSCC when we need them?
We have calculated that for weekend Masses, holy days of obligation (including Christmas), Lenten Friday evenings, and the Easter Triduum, this would normally cost over $60,000, but we have negotiated an annual payment of $30,000 to Columbus State lease entire lots during peak hours, thus saving parishioners from having to use the pay-by-app system. This discounted rate when leasing entire lots comes to about 50 cents per parking space per hour—though this rate is not available through the Parking.com app.
How is St. Patrick going to pay for this?
$30,000 is a significant new expense for the parish, but if we divide this by about 400 active parish families that regularly attend Mass at St. Patrick and contribute by envelope or by online giving, this comes out to only $75 per year, or $6.25 per month. So, we ask you to help pay for this expense by using a parking envelope in our monthly envelope packet or our WeShare online offertory portal. Please consider contributing $75 annually or $6.25 monthly (or more, if you can) to support St. Patrick’s new parking expense.
Which CSCC parking lots can we use for parish Masses and events?
See the map below for the parking lots we have leased from Columbus State and the days and times we have leased them. Large signs will be placed at the parking lot entrances indicating “St. Patrick Church Parking Only” during those times that we have leased the parking lots. At those times, you do not need to pay by app for parking. Please note that parking in the CSCC lots at any other time will be pay-by-app at the full rate.
What about weddings or other special events?
Weddings or other weekend events may be able to rent the lots directly from Columbus State. Please contact the parish office at (614) 240-5910 for information.
Columbus State Parking Lots Reserved for St. Patrick Church Parking
| Event | Parking Lots Reserved for St. Patrick |
| 5pm Saturday Vigil and 7am Sunday Masses: | Lot #15 |
| 9am, 10:30am, 12 noon Sunday Masses: | Lots #15, #16, and #25 |
| 7am & 11:45am Weekday and Holy Day Masses | (Use St. Patrick Lot or street parking only) |
| Holy Day 6:30pm Masses (Vigil and Holy Day itself) | Lots #15 and #25 |
| Other special parish events (as announced) | Lots #15 and #25 |
