By J.W. Oliver
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The Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce and the Twin Villages Alliance have decided not to co-host an upcoming series of meetings about parking in Damariscotta.
The organizations, which represent area businesses, were going to host the meetings with the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle.
The purpose of the meetings is to have a community conversation with the goal of developing a vision for the municipal parking lot. The meetings would address the question of how to fund the rebuilding of the lot, including a possible pay-to-park system.
According to Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus, “at least some in the business community feel like the (Damariscotta Board of Selectmen) has already made a decision on pay-for-parking, and despite my best efforts, I was unable to convince them otherwise.”
“There have been no conclusions reached with regard to pay-for-parking for the parking lot,” Lutkus said at the Oct. 16 meeting of the board of selectmen.
The board has yet to take any formal action to implement pay-to-park, although some selectmen have expressed interest in such a system.
The selectmen commissioned a study about pay-to-park in April. The study recommended such a system and estimated net annual revenue at more than $100,000 a year. Local business leaders, however, have said the change would drive customers away.
The interest of the town and the concerns of the business community led the town, the chamber and the alliance to announce the series of community meetings on the topic.
The selectmen criticized the alliance’s decision at their Oct. 16 meeting. As of the meeting, the chamber had yet to announce its decision to withdraw from the meetings.
“I find it disturbing … that they’re not willing to help us find alternative ways to find funds to do this parking thing,” 2nd Vice Chairman Vicki Pinkham said.
“It’s kind of like the Democrats and the Republicans,” she said. “We need to work together, and it benefits them to work with us.”
“Let’s work together to try to solve this issue, not put up a front and walk away,” Chairman Josh Pinkham said.
“My question is, if we have already made up our mind, why would we have a meeting?” Selectman Robin Mayer said.
Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce President Marva Nesbit explained the chamber’s decision in an email to Lutkus.
“Offering sponsorship runs the risk of the appearance of tacit support,” Nesbit said. “Until our member businesses have spoken, we want to remain neutral on this increasingly controversial issue.”
“As planning proceeded, the divide between the thinking of the town and the business owners became apparent,” Nesbit said. “Concern was expressed that paid parking seemed a ‘done deed.’
“The potential impact paid parking could have on the business community is a significant consideration. We believe it is best that this first ‘educational’ meeting be a town-sponsored meeting to inform Damariscotta residents and business owners of the issues regarding the back parking lot and the potential need for paid parking.”
Twin Villages Alliance Chairwoman Mary Kate Reny responded to a voice mail from The Lincoln County News with a brief statement via email.
“The pay-for-parking meeting is a critical meeting to have,” Reny said. “As the town has taken a different direction in the agenda to date than the one to which TVA originally committed, we felt the town to be a more appropriate leader for this.
“TVA believes it can be more supportive by acting as a participant and looks forward to engaging in whatever process and program the selectmen decide to take for these important conversations,” Reny said.
The town plans to go ahead with a pair of public meetings without the sponsorship of the alliance and the chamber. The meetings will take place from 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13 and Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Great Salt Bay Community School cafeteria.
The Nov. 13 meeting will include a review of the condition of the lot, the need for major repairs, and previous town studies and recommendations.
The Nov. 21 meeting will focus on input from businesses and residents about short- and long-term goals for the lot and how to finance repairs and possible “enhancements” like public restrooms or a waterfront boardwalk.
“It is very important that all of those wishing to participate in this dialogue attend both meetings,” according to a town flier.
The flier bills the meetings as the first in a series of “Twin Villages Community Conversations” with a focus on “the continued vitality” of downtown Damariscotta and Newcastle.
“Despite reports to the contrary, no decision, either formal or informal, has been made on how to fund maintenance or improvements to the parking lot,” according to the flier.
