Parking meters rejected -- again
Public committee handles two hot topics for council -- parking and sidewalk signs
Members of a council advisory committee juggled a couple of hot potatoes during their meeting on Wednesday – parking meters and sidewalk signs – and then tossed the issues back to staff for more deliberation.
But they did offer strong advice on one hot topic – the parking meters. Just say no to paid parking on downtown streets was the recommendation the Community Development Advisory Committee sent to the Planning Department.
The committee, which has seven unelected community representatives, also considered a proposal for a municipal bylaw that would licence retailers and govern sidewalk signs and placement of merchandise on sidewalks.
The meeting started with delegations from the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Campbellford Business Improvement Area on the sidewalk sign issue.
Speaking for the chamber, Patrick Mountney, said the $50 annual fee and the fact retailers would be forced to carry $5 million in liability insurance would be added costs for stores that are already struggling to survive.
“It would cost retailers an extra $200 to $800 per year to increase their liability insurance,” Mountney said.
Next up, Eva Allaire, President of the Campbellford Business Improvement Area, which has 100 members, echoed many of Mountney’s concerns and stressed the importance of having an attractive and welcoming downtown to entice tourists and residents to get out of their cars and shop.
She noted that an initiative under way since 2017 has tried to encourage retailers to make more use of the sidewalks. “The guidelines say sidewalk retailing should be encouraged to show it is a friendly place to shop.”
Advisory Committee member Nancy Allanson, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the chamber of commerce, went through the proposed bylaw in detail and raised a number of questions about definitions and distances.
Municipal Director of Planning Jim Peters said those issues and other concerns would be reviewed by staff and a revised plan will be brought back to the committee before going to council.
Councillor Rick English, a non-voting member of the advisory committee, said: “I’ve looked down the street in Warkworth and I don’t see any problems.”
A representative of the Warkworth Business Association had been scheduled to speak to the committee, but didn’t attend. He may get a chance when the issue comes back for review.
Next, the committee turned its attention to the complicated topic of parking. Kira Mees, Community Development Manager, said an online survey attracted 325 responses. I’m not surprised, when I first wrote about the issue it drew hundreds of readers and lots of hot responses, especially on the issue of parking meters.
Mees and Planner Cameron Law said they need more time for a detailed analysis of all the comments, but it was clear that the idea of charging for on-street parking was a non-starter.
Allanson noted that downtown businesses at one point pushed for parking meters as a way to control parking and ensure shoppers could find spaces in front of their stores, but as retailing changed in the late 1990s the businesses successfully pushed council to take the meters out.
Committee member Mike Alexander was the only member who supported charging for on-street parking, arguing that the free spots will fill up, forcing any tourists to search for parking in the off-street lots.
Law explained that in addition to the on-street parking issue, the municipality is reviewing parking requirements that are currently required when renovating a downtown building or adding new construction. Reducing the number of new spaces required or eliminating that need completely would probably cut building costs and allow intensification, which is a provincial goal.
Peters said this summer a student will survey all three communities and determine how many parking spaces exist, on street and in lots.
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I attended the meeting and I could not believe that Mr Alexander a member of this advisory committee kept going back to parking meters. He got support from planner Jim Peters about when the Municipality had them it brought in a lot of money. I am disappointed in Jim Peters remarks he doesn’t live here. What is needed is enforcement of the present bylaws. Last week I was at the Municipal Office to see if I could speak at the meeting. The answer was no. This was the morning of the last snow from the Municipal office to Stedmans there was six vehicles with plastic bags tied to the door handles with I presume warning notices from the night patrol. Mr Alexander should tell us his connection to Campbellford. Is he a resident, does he work here. He got my opinion on the way out. Disappointed that the parking issue is going to get further review with the two planners and a summer student. The Mayor and council should make the decision before waiting for a summer student to assist. What a waste of tax payers money.
I wouldn't necessarily say that I am in favor of parking meters, but I think we should have waited for the interim report mentioned before jumping to a recommendation.