Havre De Grace Downtown Revitalization Sparks Debate Over Parking Concerns Amid Promises Of Improved Walkability

HAVRE DE GRACE - The downtown revitalization project in Havre de Grace sparked a heated debate between residents and city officials over potential disruptions to local businesses due to the planned reduction of parking spaces.

Toole Design, the company responsible for planning the project, presented initial designs on January 10. The plan showed that, of the current 188 parking spaces, 117 would be preserved. The company further reassured that over 270 public parking spaces are within a two-minute walk of the downtown area, and more than 1000 spaces are within a five to seven-minute walk.

Despite these reassurances, some residents voiced their worries during a city council meeting on June 5. Among them was Lynn Lang, owner and operator of Crazy Eights Hair Salon.

"People leave and make another appointment another day or just not make an appointment at all and come back because they can't find a parking spot," Lang lamented.

Adding to Lang's sentiments, resident Lisa Altland highlighted the inconvenience of the situation when caring for her 84-year-old grandmother.

"When I bring her downtown for her appointments because she's not driving, I have to stop in the middle of the road because there's no parking," she shared.

City council member Jason Robertson defended the reduction in parking, citing walkability and aesthetics.

"Why we're even discussing removing parking spaces, to begin with, comes from the idea that folks like to be in a walkable, vibrant, and safe-to-navigate community, Robertson said. "This isn't just taking away parking spaces to make a place look beautiful; it's also making a place a lot more functional for pedestrians."

Mayor Bill Martin also weighed in on the issue with a candid message for residents. "You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you, but the days of pulling up right to where you want to go, they're numbered," he warned.

Regarding the project's current state, Mayor Martin revealed that the design and engineering process is nearly 30% complete, with more updates to follow as progress is made. He also proposed a timeline: "If we can't start by early September and get something significant done by November, I'd rather just have them start in January, so I don't want to disrupt our holiday season downtown."

Addressing fears about converting downtown roads into a one-way traffic system, Mayor Martin reassured residents that no permanent closures of downtown roads are anticipated. He revealed that Toole Design advised against such a move, saying, "[They] came back and said that would be the death of everything, 'one-way traffic kills you.'"

Expressing his view that the city already provides adequate parking and transportation services, Martin referenced amenities like the Tydings Park Marina and the city's trolley service.

"Our four trolleys ran for three days, and they moved 1100 passengers a total of 388 miles for free, and it didn't use any gasoline," he shared.

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