BERLIN, Md. - Berlin town leaders are again exploring the prospect of paid parking downtown as they look for ways to fund repairs to aging parking lots, but business owners who attended a meeting Wednesday morning said charging to park could hurt commerce.
Councilman Steve Green said about 40 business owners attended a parking subcommittee and merchants meeting focused on the town’s parking challenges and the cost of infrastructure work. Green said Berlin is facing about $1.2 million in repairs to town-owned parking lots and private lots that are allowed to be used as public parking.
“Berlin is continuing to explore the best ways to generate revenue to help addressing aging infrastructure in our existing municipal and quasi-public parking lots,” Green said in a statement to WBOC. He said the meeting again drew “robust opposition from a majority of merchants to paid parking of any kind in our downtown area.”
Green said the town recently surveyed businesses on whether they would support an alternative funding approach, paying an additional $500 annually through the business license fee in exchange for no paid parking. He said about 75 percent of responses opposed the idea, with businesses believing it would hurt their bottom line.
Downtown merchants interviewed by WBOC said parking pressure is most noticeable during peak seasons and major events, and they worry that a paid system could deter visitors who have other options.
“Paid parking is just very negative to me,” said Chauncey Rhodes, who owns Viking Tree Trading Co. in Berlin. “And I would think as a customer I would go somewhere else, maybe look at my other options, if I had to pay to park in Berlin.”
Christine Carpenter, owner of Beach Gypsy, said parking can become challenging in the summer and when large events bring in crowds, adding that the morning meeting focused on finding solutions as spaces and lot conditions become bigger issues.
“A lot of the parking lots are in disrepair,” Carpenter said. “I do not support paid parking in Berlin. So what are we going to do to try to help cover the expense?”
Both business owners said they understand the need for improvements, but they prefer alternatives to broad paid parking. Carpenter said a limited approach focused on peak times could be a compromise.
“Maybe on big event days, we do have some paid parking in designated areas for the overflow,” she said.
Green said the issue is not simple. “This is a passionate issue without an easy answer,” he said. He added that town leaders will continue seeking solutions to infrastructure funding concerns that balance the needs of business owners and visitors.