Township had planned meters, permits for tourist-heavy areas
VILLAS — Township Council voted May 18 to repeal an ordinance that would have established paid parking zones and parking meters in the Diamond Beach section of the Lower Township.
Members voted unanimously to repeal the ordinance. Councilman Tom Conrad was absent.
The intent of the ordinance was to generate revenue and increase turnover in parking to ease congestion in Diamond Beach, but was roundly criticized.
During a meeting April 20, more than 20 residents expressed concerns about the effect of parking on their daily lives, including difficulties in finding spots and the potential for increased congestion.
The township had a parking analysis completed, which came back April 1. Mayor Frank Sippel previously said it was a positive indicator that more parking spaces could be available in the area.
He said that during the analysis, the township engineer found that street curbs had been painted beyond what is permitted by code to prevent parking in front of homes.
Township Council introduced a resolution March 20, authorizing a contract with ParkMobile to provide collection and management services. The initial service term was for five years and 75 cents for the on-demand user fee.
On April 6, Township Council introduced an ordinance establishing paid parking zones and parking meters, which would be in effect from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from May 15 to Sept. 15. As written, the ordinance also included seasonal parking permits for a non-refundable fee of $250.
Resident Bob Corsi commented that adding meters in the 300 and 400 blocks of Diamond Beach would transfer the parking issues to the 200 blocks.
Resident Lou Conrad asked the council to clarify whether the ordinance was being rescinded or would be brought back later. He also inquired about street painting in Diamond Beach and if it was related to the meters.
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that we’re rolling it back because we have a date for next year, that’s not accurate or true,” Sippel said. “However, anybody can change anything at any given time with Council.”
Conrad said ParkMobile was asked about the contract and heard “they understand the current position and look forward to collaborating in the future.”
“It’s only 10 weeks of income you’re going to get from [parking meters] and if I had a five-year contract and somebody rescinded on me, I wouldn’t be putting ‘We look forward to collaborating,’ so that means you already talked about it,” Conrad said.
Sippel said all of the street curbs in Diamond Beach are scheduled to be painted, not just targeted streets. Additionally, four streets in Diamond Beach are expected to be resurfaced by mid-June.
Resident Kelly Sterna asked if all the streets in Diamond Beach would be repaved.
“The township engineer identifies which streets need to be repaired and we look at the budget and how much we can afford, and we go out to the worst streets first,” Sippel said.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
