New Paris to change business parking

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NEW PARIS — During recent New Paris Village Council meetings, council has discussed with village Service Director Jimmy Ragsdale and Police Chief Joel Protzman the possibility of reassigning business parking signs.

The primary concern expressed by business owners within the village was parking designated as business parking was being used by residents, therefore giving their customers less availability, and damaging profits. Because of complaints generated by this issue, Ragsdale suggested redesigning 15 parking signs to indicate customer parking only, with a monitored time limit of 2 to 3 hours.

During April’s council meeting, council member Mort Maish objected to the change, stating those owning antique shops in the village would be harmed by such an imposition, having once owned an antique shop himself.

New Paris Chamber of Commerce Director Chris Reke disagreed with Maish, also owning an antique shop in the village, and claimed to have it by word of mouth that other owners were opposed to the current parking situation.

Nevertheless, the subject was tabled until May so Maish could talk to small business owners himself.

“I talked to (business owners) and nobody wants the 2-hour parking, nobody wants a 3-hour parking. So, (Mayor Katherine Smallwood) came up with the idea of having the signs changed from business parking to customer parking and leaving them at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. like all of the other towns around,” said Maish.

“Personally, I think that’s the best way to go,” Maish remarked.

Maish added, owners he spoke with were also in favor of a simple change in sign language, however Reke noted that was not the response he received from owners in the village.

“We want something done, we don’t mind new tenants are coming in, that’s great for the village. It is just putting strain on our parking,” Reke said.

Reke expressed his belief 2-hour parking would not be sufficient for his customers, and would prefer 3-hours be permitted, but also noted the environment has become hostile for customers. According to Reke, his customers have experienced residents of nearby housing verbally accosting them for parking in front of their abodes, despite the signage stating business parking only.

Bryanna McCartney, owner of Graceful Paws pet grooming parlor, also attended the meeting, and expressed her concerns to council.

“It’s also that there are multiple cars per household. So, my building has seven cars total just for that little space on the corner, the residents next door have three, the residents upstairs have two, and then myself and my employee have one, which we park down the road. But, that many cars around one building takes up a lot of space, and I think that’s the case for some of these apartments,” she said.

McCartney continued, “These people are working second shift or evenings, so they’re there a lot of time during the day.”

Council member John Arthur noted council cannot tell residents they are forbidden from parking in front of their homes.

However, according to Ragsdale, there have been numerous occurrences where residents park in business-assigned parking for hours on end, effectively blocking customers from the businesses.

“Me personally, the residents who lived upstairs from my space have started many altercations with me about my customers parking there, telling my customers they had to move their cars, that those are their parking spots. Multiple occasions,” added McCartney. “And they came into my business to do this.”

Ragsdale expressed his opinion the only way to prevent issues with residents parking in business-only areas is to enforce an hourly limit. “A resident can say, ‘I sell Mary-Kay, I’m a business.’ Business is just way too gray, so to get rid of the gray, is the hourly.”

Maish, who has been opposed to hourly parking, inquired if signage would be placed in front of his residence as well.

“You going to put a parking rate down there where I live so I can park where I live? No, you’re not going to do that. You’re going to make me walk two blocks to get home,” Maish remarked.

“That has nothing to do with business parking,” Ragsdale returned.

After deliberation, council moved to vote on the issue.

Council members Ralph Dungan and Luther Conway voted in favor of new signage enforced by an hourly limit, while Maish and council member John Arthur voted against. Council member Jean Brower abstained, and council member Kimberly Fields was absent.

The vote went to the Mayor’s decision and Smallwood voted in favor.

Reach Nathan Hoskins at 937-683-4057.

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