NEWS

Parking crunch

Dover considers higher rates, more hours of enforcement

Brian Early
bearly@seacoastonline.com
The Dover Parking Commission is seeking to generate more revenue to pay off the Orchard Street Parking Garage soon so the city can consider building a second garage. [John Huff/Fosters.com]

DOVER — Adding parking enforcement on Saturdays, extending parking meters by an hour and implementing a progressive parking fee structure were among the changes the city’s Parking Commission will recommend to the City Council.

Members of the commission believe if their policy changes are implemented it would help to encourage more turnover in downtown parking spaces in the short-term while generating additional revenue to pay off the Dover's parking garage sooner so the city could consider building a second parking garage.

The recommendations, which include increasing the parking garage hourly rate from 75 cents to $1, came after numerous merchants expressed frustration about downtown parking challenges they see, from the lack of availability to infrequent turnover of vehicles in parking spaces during off hours.

Janet Perry, owner of the longstanding Nicole’s Hallmark on Central Avenue said, “We’re seeing the influx of all the apartments downtown.”

It's not uncommon for her to see the same car park in front of her business for the whole weekend, she said.

Susan Hanna of SEH Studios at One Washington Center, said, “They have parking, but they choose to park in front of my business.”

Tammy Johnson, who owns The Nook Breakfast & Lunch restaurant on Locust Street, told the committee she has been paying closer attention to parking activity at a lot nearby her store. By Saturday morning, 11 of the 19 spaces were utilized. “On Sunday the same cars were there. It’s like that every week,” she said.

Paul Cote, owner of Fat Dog Kitchen on Third Street, expressed similar frustrations, lamenting the loss of available parking. “We used to have a decent daytime business. Then they sold the Third Street (parking) lot, and our daytime business is not existent now,” he said, expressing concern that he may have to relocate his restaurant to survive. Cote said the city officials and elected leaders want Dover to be a walkable city. “If they can’t park, they can’t walk,” he said.

The committee voted to recommend pushing enforcement to 8 p.m. and adding the same hours on Saturday. Often, residents and business employees will park in downtown spots on the weekend because it’s free, even if they have permits to park elsewhere, said Bill Simons, the city’s parking manager.

The committee members briefly discussed adding Sunday hours, such as from noon to 4 p.m. to encourage turnover at parking spots, but opted not to include it in their recommendations because of what they see is a lack of support by the City Council and downtown businesses.

The progressive parking structure would increase the cost of parking after two hours and again after four hours. Under the proposal, on-street parking would be $1 an hour for the first two hours; $2 an hour for hour three and four; and $3 an hour starting at four hours. However, the parking fee in the Orchard Street Parking garage would remain $1 an hour all day, according to the proposal. Permit holders can get a discounted price off the hourly retail charge.

Included in the fiscal year 2020 budget approved earlier this month by the City Council is $25,000 to hire a consultant to study whether the city needs a second parking garage, where it could be located and how much it would cost, Simons said.

The $11 million 314-space Orchard Street Parking Garage that opened in 2015 and also houses the Dover Police Department, is being financed by the city’s Downtown Tax Increment Financing district. The 20-year bond would still have $10.1 million to pay at the end of FY 2019, said Finance Director Dan Lynch. The final bond payment is scheduled for FY 2034.

Commission member George Maglaras, who owns George’s Marina on Cochecho Street, said that having so many residents downtown is a positive development for Dover. But the long-term parking challenges need to fixed, which, according to Maglaras and other members, would be solved by a second parking garage.

The biggest demand for resident parking is from the mill buildings, which have permits for parking spaces all around the downtown area, he said. “If you take the mill out of the equation, there would be plenty of parking downtown,” he said.