Summertime paid parking expands to parking lots in Port Dover

After a lengthy debate at a meeting on Tuesday, Norfolk councilors made some changes to the summertime paid parking program in Port Dover.

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During a two-year pilot program that began in 2022, motorists paid $4 an hour to park near the beach in the lakeside towns of Port Dover, Turkey Point and Long Point between mid-June and early September.

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The program net about $150,000 for the county over two years, and Norfolk County staff recommended it become permanent.

At Tuesday’s council-in-committee meeting, councilors approved a 2024 fee of $4 an hour in all paid parking zones in Turkey Point and Long Point from June 15 to Sept. 5 from 10 am to 6 pm There will be two “pick-ups spaces” with free 15-minute parking set up in the beachfront area in Turkey Point.

But after hearing from some Port Dover business owners who said the paid parking program had a devastating impact on them, councilors agreed to establish $4-an-hour paid parking this year only in the Elmer Lewis parking lot on Main Street, and parking lots on Clinton and Harbor streets. The paid parking will also be in place from June 15 to Sept. 5 from 10 am to 6 pm

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A motion from Mayor Amy Martin to also have paid parking in the angled spots around Powell Park was defeated.

“We shouldn’t be cutting spots left, right and center,” said Martin in support of parking around Powell Park. “We should give (the parking program) a go and see what the results end up being.”

Coun. Adam Veri, who represents Port Dover, argued that “having paid parking in another area of ​​downtown is taking a problem in front of these businesses and putting the problem in front of those businesses.”

Veri asked fellow councilors to “look at Port Dover as a downtown, not a waterfront,” arguing the situation there is different than waterfront areas in Turkey Point and Long Point.

“It’s not only tourism,” said Veri. “There’s a Home Hardware, there are professional services. It’s not just ice cream shops and hot dogs. (Paid parking) is a substantial and significant disruption. Leave it in the lots. Keep it off the street in front of businesses.”

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In a presentation to councilors, Andrew Schneider, who owns the iconic Erie Beach Hotel and The Arbor, said the parking pilot program “is killing business in the beach area of ​​Port Dover.”

“Last year was my worst non-COVID year in 20 years,” Schneider said. “A huge factor was paid parking.”

Paul Morris, co-chairman of the Port Dover Board of Trade, told councilors employees at local businesses spent hours explaining confusing parking rules to their customers.

“There is a huge, hidden, unreported cost,” said Morris, adding that paid parking did little to encourage more turnover of parking spaces in the most favorable locations.

Jenny Ball, owner of The Dover Cheese Shop on Main Street, said the paid parking program was a factor in her sales dropping 20 per cent last summer.

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Councilors also eliminated a $100 resident parking permit, replacing it with a $35 registration fee for Norfolk residents to park all summer with a four-hour time limit.

Council agreed to hire one more temporary full-time summer student to enforce parking rules, to be funded by parking revenues.

Councilors also asked staff to come back with a report on how to use the surplus money generated by paid parking, with an eye to having a portion of it go to community enhancement in Port Dover, Turkey Point and Long Point.

A final vote on the parking program changes will be made at an upcoming council meeting.

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