06/26/2026
šØ A Story From This Week šØ
Tuesday is consignment day at Azalea, and this week a customer walked in with a few items to consign. As we chatted, she said something that stopped me in my tracks:
āThis will be the last time Iāll be downtown.ā
I assumed she was moving.
Instead, she told me she was planning to boycott downtown because of the new parking kiosks.
My heart sank.
In that moment, the reality of this situation hit me differently. This wasnāt a discussion on social media or a comment thread online. This was a real customer, making a real decision to take her support elsewhere.
I completely understand that many people are frustrated. But I hope our community remembers that the small businesses downtown didnāt create this situation, nor did we have a say in it. Months ago, many business owners voiced concerns and opposition, but here we are.
What worries me most is not the kiosks themselvesāitās the growing number of people saying they plan to stop shopping downtown altogether.
Downtown Sandpoint isnāt just a collection of storefronts. Behind every shop is a family. Employees. Owners. Community members. People who sponsor local events, donate to local causes, and work hard to keep our downtown vibrant year-round.
Tourists help support us during the busy summer months, but for the other ten months of the year, we rely on our locals. You are the backbone of our community.
So instead of dwelling on what I canāt control, Iāve been asking myself what I can do.
Hereās my small contribution:
š For every local customer who spends $100 or more at Azalea, I will personally reimburse the cost of your parking pass.
Itās a simple way of saying thank you for continuing to support my staff, my family, and our downtown community.
And if other downtown businesses would like to join me, I would love to see this become a community-wide effort.
Sandpoint has always shown up for its small businesses. I hope we can continue showing up for one another.
ā¤ļø Chloe
