By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM
In response to a presentation by a Downtown Business Improvement Area member to a recent standing committee, Cobourg council voted this week to extend the pre-approved December gift of one hour’s free parking downtown.
The motion calls for that consideration to be extended from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 – with the hope of promoting more foot traffic and in recognition that Christmas activities in the downtown (such as Christmas Magic in Cobourg) begin in advance of December.
The discussion followed Caren Cooper’s appeal to the Community Services, Protection and Economic Development standing committee’s October meeting. Cooper allowed that stricter regulations are necessary in the so-called high season of Victoria Day through Thanksgiving, but called for more lenient regulations in the off-season.
Councillor Brian Darling voiced his opposition to the longer grace period that the committee originally recommended, protesting that Cooper had not backed up her request with any kind of statistics or other data.
Parking revenues account for an average of $20,000 monthly, Darling said, “and that will translate into higher taxes.
“And who is going to pay the over $100,000 in annual rent for the parking lots?” he added, referring to town-owned land that is leased out for parking.
“What’s going to prevent employees from downtown stores or tenants from occupying main-street parking space during the day?”
As he drives through the downtown, Darling said, he notices most of the spaces are occupied.
“If parking rates were the concern, I would think more of the parking spots would be vacant,” he pointed out.
The committee had originally recommended the one-hour-free break until such time as an updated parking study will come before council, but – attending by Zoom from Sri Lanka – Municipal Clerk Brent Larmer said he hoped that would be before the end of the year.
Darling pointed out that the December period was already approved, and Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty asked that the additional month be part of the motion as well.
