Parking meters are certainly not the answer. One of the hardest things about being in business in HdG is getting people to 'drive down the hill' and do commerce in HdG rather than Bel Air or Aberdeen....if we ask them to shell out more money (no matter the amount)...they will continue to support businesses in other towns.
I really don't see too great of an issue in parking. I do believe that a friendly enforcement of the 2 hour parking limits may be the answer, but it has to be consistent. Didn't the city spend $$ on a little police 'golf cart' for this purpose...I think we may have seen it two times in 2010.
Honestly, we should be focused on how to get more store fronts full of retailers (less service businesses) so that we DO have a parking problem in the future.

first start with the city purchasing the Asher property and getting rid of it.
Then build a large various level parking facility.
then look into selling off the top area for use as a new restaurant over looking the bay.
the parking area could be used as a pay by the hour rate for local shopping or visiting.
the parking could also be used by the local restaurants for valet parking , with them paying for it using a credit card payable to the city, for much of their large events.
this could also be used when the city uses the park next door for various funds raisers.
could be used as a bus stop for over various events in town, which in turn would help get the visitors into the down town area and resturants.

I was asked once about 30 years ago what would help the down town and I replyed to burn it down and build and mall over looking the river and bay with docking areas for large boats to come up and spend cash, enstead of the folks going down the back, let the money flow up the bay.

Mr. Kilsavage has a very good point in regards to business owners and employees parking behind their respective businesses or at least away from "prime" parking spaces. I usually don't have any problems parking around town evening or daylight. The lot behind McGregors is even a last resort because street parking is obtainable. I think there may be room on Washington Street to angle park on the northbound side as well the southbound. I don't see that this is a pressing issue and time and recourses need be used sparingly when much more pressing issues need be dealt with. Like the decline of businesses throughout the city. There are far too many vacant buildings around town. Many of the occupied buildings are in disrepair. It is a sad situation seeing these buildings in that sort of condition when all of the public buildings paid directly with tax dollars stand as castles or some sort of monument. Examples. Police Station with it's Fort Knox gates, City Hall and it's royal round table, Post office, and our "way too many" Hose Companies for a city this size. These buildings all paid for and maintained by tax dollars. Doesn't say a lot about who really matters in the city when you can plainly see who gets precedence over tax money collected from property and bossiness owners.

Since a major complaint of the people who have businesses is that people park for too long a time, and the restaurant owners say their patrons cant find parking, and that some business owners and their employees want to park conveniently, if we did two things it might relieve the immediate problem. Valet parking for the restaurants solves one problem, and utilizing the 'alleys' for business and employee parking where possible solves another. There is no way to turn Havre de Grace into an area with the parking convenience of a mall. Do we want to?Hopefully our commercial areas will get busier, but until then we can't afford to spend a lot of money on band aid solutions, or radical change. A few simply solutions, done together, with the people working together might relieve things. I guess I sound unsympathetic, but I am downtown a lot, and live only a few blocks away, but I never have parking problems. It might take an extra two minutes, and walking two blocks but places can be found. I find places on the side streets. I do find it a nuisance for some business owners to put orange cones in front of their stores for their personal convenience. That prevents other business owners from having customers have a fair and equal opportunity to park - and it is a public street maintained by public money.

There is a van and a car parked in front of our business on Franklin Street that have been taking advantage of the two signed two-hour parking slots there since Sunday afternoon. The vehicle owners probably agree there is no parking problem in Havre de Grace.

Jason, appreciate your remarks. We have spoken to the police, spoken to city council members, and spoken to repeat offenders. We're very friendly, non-confrontational, and complete failures at getting through to violators. We (and the building owners) graded and graveled a four-car lot out back and put several thousand dollars into its improvement. It helps, but only with our customers that know it's there. (We are reluctant to put up signage advertising it. Since there is a city law forbidding towing from a private lot for 24 hours, private enforcement is difficult. We just point restaurant goers to our tiny lot.) So going on two years later, still musical chairs with no music.

Yes, when enforcement sporadically happens, folks suddenly understand what two hours means. If the City administration (police) simply enforced the signage in place, the cars would keep moving, a few street spaces would always be open, and shoppers wanting to just pop into a store would have a chance to do so.

I have never understood why there is no two-hour enforcement. My cynical side says it's to protect landlords that have too many tenants with too many cars living in downtown apartments. But it also could just be disregard for the micro business owners that make up the street.

Jason, I would like to hear more about your retail business vs. service business angle? We run both sides of business here, and I'm not clear on your point.

Walter

It is so good to hear and see positive reasoning from our residents and business owners. All the white noise just leads to increased confrontation - and nothing gets done. We can solve this problem in a way that we all can live with. Nothing will satisfy everyone - but our goal does not need to be to satisfy everyone. The sign in Havre de Grace I see working most effectively is the 15 minute one in front of Golls. Are there more areas where short time parking would be effective? I really believe that there is not a single fix, but a combination of less invasive approaches might be a way that everyone would have some relief from their individual problems, and no one person or group would have to 'bite the bullet.'

Just a thought...Why doesn't the City put a story in the LOCAL PAPER stating the issues with downtown parking/And also state that enforcement will take place on a regular basis..Let us not forget FIRST FRIDAYS IS AROUND THE CORNER!!!!The time to get the downtown parking alerted is NOW....The weather is getting warmer...and with that comes a increase in tourist and visitors...JUST MY 2 CENTS:)

Our conclusion? Enforcement of existing parking laws and signage is the administration's responsibility; doing so calls for political will. We're watching to see how mayoral contenders address this nagging issue. It certainly isn't HdG's most pressing challenge, but it is a systemic exhausting problem that could be easily resolved--with a solution that will pay its own way.

Enforcement is a waste of time! Ask the police department and the city council how many unpaid fines the city has sitting on the books now. Also, ask them what they do to recoup those fines! The city as a cost cutting measure has never reported those fines like other jurisdictions to MVA. The administrative costs associated with reporting to MVA was deemed not worth it. If someone gets a ticket and chooses not to pay there is no penalty, therefore no incentive to pay!!!!

It would be interesting with a comment like this for there to be a source. If this is actually the case, then I am certain that some local measure of enforcement could be developed so ;the identified "expensive" method of involving the MVA could be avoided. Perhaps this could be one of many measures that would be more equitable, and not make the burden too much for any one group who is impacted by the perceived parking problem.

From one perspective there's really too many parking spaces. There are some intersections where parking is allowed (the 'yellow curb' area is really small) within a few feet of the cross street. This makes it very difficult to see if it's clear to pull out. The intersections of Green & Union and Bourbon & Union come to mind. If the 'yellow curb' area was one parking space longer the 'sight angle' would be much safer. Just a thought.

Thank you, Mr. Cullum; this is an interesting piece of information. Twenty-five dollars seems like a reasonable fine.

The police made the van move today outside our shop (maybe somebody reads Patch!) at about 11:00. Point of comment, six cars have taken advantage of the two-hour spot since then (now 4:30). One was a customer picking up a bike from us, another a customer that just popped in and learned more about our services. Enforcement does work to keep the cars moving.

If the police were allowed to do their job in the past without political influence we wouldn’t be in the situation we are today with the parking scofflaws. Sure were a tourist town and giving a tourist a ticket may leave a bad taste in their mouth. But ask any of them if they were visiting any other tourist town like Baltimore, Ocean City or Bel Air Md. Would they park longer then the sign allows?

How about a free "HdG" window sticker with every ticket? Help ease the pain just a bit.

Betty: Read the report from the Chesapeake Group. Lack of enforcement is stated as a reason. I didn't make that up. I didn't go after the police. I said let the police do their job with out political influence.

Betty,

Just because no one says do not write so and so a ticket, doesn't mean it isn't perceived. As a police officer would YOU write a ticket to the mayors best friend, the executives br0ther in law, the councilmans wife etc? When you are in a position that is dependent on politicians for equipment, policy and raises ...typically the employee fear reprisal for perceived slights.

Jimmy and Brenda - I cannot prove that any of the things you say are true, therefore I would not say them. Can you? What you are saying, or implying besmirches a fine police department. It also besmirches elected officials who are doing a good job, under the most trying circumstances. The Patch offered a window to intelligent discussion. It is not meant to offer an effort to turn it into attacks, unproven and unfounded, on some very honorable people. I challenge you to prove your statements. I also challenge you to be more positive in your attitudes. There are enough problems without creating more.

Betty: Again I will say Read the report. I didn't write it I just mentioned what it said. You can try and twist the report any way youu want. It still says the parking problem is caused by lack of enforcement. Nothing about besmirching the police department.

Jimmy, what you said was 'if the police were allowed to do their job in the past without political influence we wouldn't be in the situation we are today with the parking scofflaws'. What I am saying is that this is something you should be able to prove when you say it. Too many honorable people are negatively affected otherwise.

The Chesapeake Group report states without reservation that the most immediate downtown parking problems are caused by lack of enforcement of signed short-term (two-hour) parking slots. The report is published at: http://www.havredegracemd.com/pdf/draft-parking-study.pdf

Jimmy,is it possible to have a discussion with you without you getting personal? Can you stay on topic? How can we improve the parking situation in Havre de Grace so that the commercial and residential elements can be able to take advantage of what we have available. And I think everyone will agree that we can accomplish much more if we work together. Additionally, you have a fiduciary responsibility to ALL of the citizens.

Did any downtown business owner receive a visit from Chesapeake Group representatives regarding parking, traffic and pedestrian safety, development or any other area of the "Five-Year-Plan" study?

Have you ever been to Cherokee NC? I have. Have you ever seen the dramatization of the Trail of Tears? I have. Do you have any carvings by the Cherokee craftsmen? I do. How can you possibly take a compliment to the resilience and success of the Cherokee Nation, and turn it into an personal insult. I do not know what your problem is, but if you want to discuss issues, I will be happy to do that. You come from a family of outstanding strong women. Your dad was one of my favorite people. Your continual attack on me will stop. And by the way, not only have I studied the history of the Cherokee Nation, but also the Lakota Sioux - especially Red Cloud.

To the other readers, the previous comment was for James P Miller. As for anything else, I really believe that an open dialogue is the best way to solve problems. I also believe that everyone has not only a right, but a responsibility to speak truth to power. Otherwise we will be destined to have some sort of autocracy. That's why I continually campaign for people to register to vote, for people to vote, and for all of us to make certain we have the most educated electorate possible. That is also why I consider the Maryland Sunshine Law to be one of the most important laws in the state.

Betty,

You continue to ask people to be nice and positive, yet you continue to throw jabs. You called me a liar on a previous post....even though Mr. Cullum pointed out that my information was in fact correct. Most disappointing is that as a previous council member you didn't know that a source of revenue was going untapped. I pointed out human nature in my post regarding the police writing parking tickets, I never disparged the police department or any politician. The fact of the matter MOST of the politicians and police officers in this city are genuinely good people. As in any job there are very good employees and MAYBE a few bad apples. But in a town this size everyone knows someone, and trust me to know the chief, mayor and council have had people come to them and complain about these officers ticketing them. I suppose you have never been issued a warning citation instead of an actual ticket? Trust me in EVERY jurisdiction favors are done daily, and Havre de Grace is no different. The parking issue has people on both sides of the issue. Those that feel entitled to park where they want for how long they want, those that adhere to the limits. And there are certainly issues when bending the rules absolutely make sense! Imagine you were in one of the salons downtown getting a color cut and blow dry that took slightly over 2 hours, wouldn't you be upset that that $150 hairdo just cost you $165?

There is a simple solution to this issue. Each employee and resident on the downtown strip should be given a sticker and THOSE residents/employees should have designated parking a block or so away. THOSE people should be ticketed if they exceed 15 minutes parking in the areas in front of businesses. And parking on the business strip should be open for any parking from 9p-9a.

Frankly, I didn't vote for him nor will I in any upcoming election. I just find the tone of your posts to be negative and counter productive. If you are using this forum to garner a seat on the council I fear you are wasting your time. I have recieved multiple calls from people discussing your posts and they haven't been favorable. Quite honestly, I think that Mr Millers tone to also be negative and counter productive. This forum shouldn't be used to air dirty laundry, taking jabs at people or discussing personal feelings. There are a ton of people reading this forum and that know who I am based on the information I have provided. Trust me, I could have made many negative comments but this isn't the forum. There is a parking issue downtown, and trust me it isn't percieved. It is abuse by a few shopkeepers/tenants/employees. Some feel they are above the law, others know that if they get a ticket and do not pay for it nothing will come of it. So the solutions that are offered need to bare those things in mind. I am frankly suprised that no one seemed to have offered the information about the tickets not being flagged by MVA. What good does it do to remove an officer from patrol to ticket people that do not pay? A parking study that doesn't mention true enforcement is a waste of taxpayer money. The same information could have been retrieved from speaking with a few of the police officers.

I, or my wife rather, had a crazy idea: what about just eliminate street side parking all together on Washington Street and make it a pedestrian mall? Or just eliminate parking on one side and widening the sidewalks?

It seems counterintuitive, but maybe the problem isn't parking or parking spaces, but being able to easily walk from through downtown?

Here's a start...the 15 minute parking sign in front of Golls Bakery/PNC Bank is working. How about one of those spots on every corner of every street in the downtown area?

The following question is for every person that feel that the HDG Police Department is not enforcing parking. Would you like them to stop responding to emergencies,handling thefts, vandalisms, drug issues, traffic accidents, speeding etc to take time out to write a ticket that will get no results. Previous stated comments say that people don't pay them and there is no penalty or incentive in a tight economy.

As for the businesses downtown, I have lived in HDG all my life as well as the generation before me and the generation I am raising. There are no businesses downtown other than Lyons and the Coffee Shop that help my daily living. I am a public servant that has not had a raise in 4 years. I have 3 children to cloth, feed and keep a roof over. I no longer have any reason to go downtown since the grocery store is closed. I MUST shop where it is cheaper in order to survive. All the shops downtown are now for tourists and those who have no budget.

Parking is not the issue for the regular HDG citizen. Parking is an issue for tourists and the evening bars and restaurants.

Think we need to get away from the "tourist" angle and always self-identifying as a seasonal town. This isn't "Cabot Cove" from Murder She Wrote. Havre de Grace businesses need to do business year-round to pay year-round bills. Our store is working hard on broadening our seasonal business, with the busy summer bike shop transitioning into the popular Christmas Emporium transitioning into special live musical events in the winter (planned for 2012). We love out-of-town visitors, but real business, that keeps us in business, comes from residents of Havre de Grace and surrounding APG, Bel Air, Aberdeen, Edgewood and Cecil County. They are not tourists, they are customers.

There has been a parking problem in Havre de Grace as far back as I can remember. The city should consider purchasing the old Pabst Blue Ribbon warehouse on St. John Street and build a 300 car parking garage and that would solve all the problems. Have it manned with attendants and charge accordingly.

Merrill Hadry

The average cost to build a parking space in a elevated facility is about $30,000.00 per space, not including the purchase price of the property.

People will park as close as they can (to where they live or work) for long as they can until the administration practices consistent enforcement and keeps the cars moving. (Shoppers, diners and tourists will get what's left over). A giant parking garage (in a funky location) won't fix anything. Some smaller, slightly off the path lots wouldn't hurt, but we have a few of them now, and they are unenforced and simply convenient garage square-footage for a select few. Enforce the laws we've got, and then look at left-over problem issues later.

Just a thought: Rumour has it that a new hospital is going to be built 'up the hill' and the hospital in HdG will be closed. I guess that parking garage will be available then not to mention all the parking near the current Doctor's offices when those Doc's move to places closer to the new hospital.
Another thought: I wonder what the plan is for the old hospital? Where I'm from, when the older, smaller hospitals were closed and services were relocated to the new huge 'medical factories' a lot of the old onws were converted to a combination maturnity/nursing home facility. Those 'facility conversions' seemed to be very successful.
(sorry for the digression from the thread)

Srart towing the cars that park the wrong direction on the wrong side of the street, and in handicaped spots.