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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
June 7, 2013
Council Moves Ahead With Paid Parking Areas
By JOANNE SHRINER
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN CITY – Despite a compromise proposed by Mayor Rick Meehan and concerns from residents and two other elected officials, the City Council majority have approved new paid parking areas for this summer. An ordinance authorizing additional paid parking in certain areas came before the Mayor and City Council this week for its final passage. New locations include the east side of the driveway in the Public Safety Building parking lot between 65th and 66th streets, from 5 p.m.-7 a.m. on Monday-Friday, except for holidays, and all day Saturday and Sunday; City Hall parking lot, from 5 p.m.-7 a.m. on MondayFriday, except for holidays, and all day Saturday and Sunday; on the west side of Philadelphia Avenue from 7 a.m. until midnight between North Division Street and South 1st Street; 49th Street ocean block; 131st Street from Coastal Highway to Sinepuxent Avenue; and 146th Street ocean block. “I have voted against this proposal from the beginning,” Councilman Brent Ashley said. “Adding more expense for the visitors that come to Ocean City with more parking meters would seem to be counterproductive to the promotion of tourism
when we can least afford to lose even one visitor.” Meehan submitted a suggestion to the council prior to that evening’s meeting hoping to make a compromise. Meehan pointed out in 2011 the city improved 146th Street and added 16 new parking spaces. He recommended the 16 spaces that are closest to the beach be metered, leaving the rest free for the troubled condominium owners to take advantage of. On 131st Street between the two restaurants located there, the owner of J/R’s House of Ribs had requested for paid parking on the street to help increase business turnover. The mayor recommended the spaces that are contiguous to J/R’s property be metered from 9 a.m.-noon daily, leaving the nine parking spaces contiguous to Crab Bag, who is not in favor of paid parking, be left as free parking On the west side of Philadelphia Avenue south of Division Street, Meehan suggested to treat the area the same as the city has done with other streets in the downtown commercial area, and allow property owners with spaces contiguous to their property to request to have those spaces remain as free parking. The difference in potential revenue on 146th Street would be
$12,800 less, on 131st Street $5,850 less, and with two property owners on the west side of Philadelphia Avenue who have already requested not to have paid parking would result in $4,550 less, which is a net total of a $23,200 loss. “The balance of the revenue we project to receive by accepting this compromise proposal in the amount of $92,250 will benefit the taxpayers not just this year but for future years as well. I realize this proposal will not answer everyone’s concerns, but I think it goes a long way toward addressing the concerns that have been brought to the council,” the mayor said. Ocean City resident Tony Christ caused a stir in the room by asserting the city had already purchased the new Cale machines before the new areas of paid parking were passed. “Is this the way you all govern?” he asked. “You order the thing before the public hearing that determines it passed?” City Manager David Recor responded that the council determined to purchase 13 Cale machines during budget workshops from the current fiscal year’s budget due to a six-week lead time to have the machines in place by July 1. If the ordinance did not pass, the rest would be kept as spares or returned.
“I wanted to remind everybody that during the budget hearings when we discussed this were open to the public and they are televised,” Council Secretary Mary Knight said. “The way government makes money is very limited … we had a list of four pages of potential areas of paid parking. We picked these areas because it would affect the least people.” Ocean Place condo owner Michael Feen, who has spoken in opposition to newly installed paid parking on several occasions, returned to ask the council for a comprehensive study over the matter. “I am really concerned over the whole process. What Mr. Meehan has proposed this evening I hadn’t had any time to think about. I like to ask the vote tonight be put off at least until we can consider how to react to your proposal. In fairness, the attempt to compromise is worthwhile,” Feen said. “I would like to have a study done, and out of a comprehensive study then we can come up with a plan for the future that will mitigate some of the animosities that would come up.” City Manager David Recor said it was during the April 9 budget session the council and staff evaluated a number of options in potential areas to install paid parking. SEE NEXT PAGE
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