$1 Per Hour Meter Parking Taxing on Lansdale Businesses

The new $1 an hour parking fees on meters on West Main Street in the downtown Lansdale business district is making change, according to one business owner.

Roger Hammond, owner of Next Generation Web Technologies at 312 W. Main St., asked borough administration representatives in attendance at Tuesday evening's town hall session why there are $1 an hour parking meters, which are limited to quarters only. Hammond said the rate will affect commerce negatively for downtown businesses.

Hammond's issue came up in a brief introductory inquiry on the future parking situation for the Madison Lot Redevelopment.

"At $1 an hour, we'll go out of business," he said.

Councilwoman Mary Fuller, who co-moderates the town hall session with Lansdale Business Association President Doug DiPasquale, gave Hammond the main reason: It eliminates SEPTA users from parking on West Main Street all day "for nothing."

"It keeps the spots open for business use," Fuller said.

DiPasquale gave another reason: It deters business owners and employees from continuing to park on Main Street.

"My worker comes in off the train and he said, 'Main Street doesn't have many cars on it in the morning.' And I said that's because 10 of the cars were business owners on Main Street," said DiPasquale, who also owns Minuteman Press.

"Second, if you can't afford a dollar to park for an hour, you can't afford to go out or buy things," he said.

Fuller also reminded that meter users get 15 minutes free on West Main Street. All you need to do is push the button on the meter to get it. So, in essence, you get 75 minutes of parking with $1.

Resident Rose Chapman said how can anyone enjoy himself or herself if they have to go out and worry about feeding the meter.

"When I got to lunch at Not Just Sandwiches, I have to put $2 in. But first I have to stop at the bank and get quarters," said resident Jean Fritz.

Hammond said that when you have 10 cents, 25 cents or $1 parking you will not get SEPTA parkers, but you will get customers of a store or restaurant spending an extra $1 or $2 to park on West Main Street.

"The thrift store (Attic) said business has been down since the meters came in," Hammond said. "One dollar parking can be offensive to someone spending $3 to $5 to park."

"When you mention something like the Madison Parking Lot, you don't get the real feedback," Hammond said.

Hammond said the $1 an hour rate is a 1,000 percent increase over previous parking rates on the old meters. He said the quarters-only meters force customers to think about where to get change, and have to go into a local business to get that change.

Fuller said Equus Capital Partners redesigned the original concept plan for the Madison Lot Redevelopment to favor current business owners in Lansdale; the new sketch plan shows more parking on Madison Street, a skate park, a reduction in the number of apartments and more open space.

"A lot of the businesses on Main Street don't come to the meetings," chimed in resident Nancy Frei. 

Fuller agreed with Frei's observation.

"Business owners are ready to jump to conclusions and say we will put them out of business," she said.

Borough Manager Timi Kirchner told the small group of town hall attendees that the sketch plan is not a done plan. The borough will listen to concerns and include them through the phasing process of the development. 

Hammond digressed from his point for a second and agreed that it's important to get the local businesses engaged in the town's revitalization, as it will lead them to be revitalized with it.

"First Fridays are right in the downtown. That's why it's important to everyone in the business district to give back and maybe you feel it's for you," Hammond said.

Fuller said it would work better if businesses stay open later on First Fridays, which are events that bring in thousands of people to downtown Lansdale.

"If you walk up and down Main Street, you see a good number of businesses not open," Fuller said. "We've had several different people physically going in and speak one-on-one to business owners to engage them."

Hammond said, "In reality, that's not the perception."

Fuller asked how to change that, especially when stakeholders are going into businesses to get owners engaged in the town.

Hammond said some businesses close on First Fridays because "people are not going to shop for appliance parts," for instance.

"You never know," said Fuller. "Often times I know people come back because they met or saw the business that night."

Fuller said the new retail proposed at Madison Lot Redevelopment will be the type that will attract customers and help the businesses on Main Street.

"Business said 'we want retail there.' The project is done in a way that serves as a catalyst for empty spaces for people to come in and fill those spaces," Kirchner said.

Community Development Director John Ernst agreed—even with a revamped 311 W. Main Street, he said, people can now go see a show or go somewhere to eat. The new development becomes a catalyst for more businesses to take advantage of the clientele.

"It'd be wonderful for there to be a small grocery store at the bottom of the residential units. The customer base lives above the store," Ernst said.

Hammond reiterated that $1 per hour parking on three blocks in the downtown is not a benefit to revitalization.

"Businesses are trying to keep their doors open," he said. "Whether you spend $1 on a meter or $1 in the store, why did the borough do it? It's not a positive revitalization to the downtown."