On Tuesday, November 16, the City Council’s Economic Development Subcommittee discussed at length several options for raising additional revenue for the City to pay for ongoing maintenance and capital improvements in the downtown area, and specifically the Midtown Mall. The City owns the parking lot there and is responsible for all costs associated with it, including plowing, striping, paving, shoveling the stairs, mulching, etc. The parking lot is currently undergoing improvements including new lighting and a pedestrian walkway, but Community Development Director Ian Houseal said there are drainage issues and it needs full repaving. All agreed that providing the businesses at the Midtown Mall with free parking at the taxpayers’ expense is not a sustainable option for the long term.
The following proposals were discussed:
The three Subcommittee members (Mayor Mastraccio, Deputy Mayor Herlihy and Councilor Ayn Hanselmann) agreed that it was important to get input from the business owners whose employees and customers use the parking lot before making any final decisions. They were also all in agreement that the issue should not be put off any longer. “It’s time,” said Mayor Mastraccio, “we have to solve this problem.”
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Many mallards gather on Number 2 Pond next to Oscar Emery Drive. Photo: Terry Jellerson
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