(New Buffalo, MI) - Decision makers in New Buffalo could be backpedaling on plans to charge for parking in the city’s downtown.

 

Business owners afraid of losing a lot of customers came out in droves Thursday evening to a town hall type meeting called in response to their concerns since the city council’s recent decision to install pay stations along Whittaker and Thompson streets.

 

The plans had not been finalized but the intent was to likely charge $2 an hour to park beginning in August, officials said.

 

Business owners fearing as much as a 30 to 50 percent or more loss in sales urged the plan be scrapped or paused for a year to try and come up with something both sides can agree on.

 

There were also threats of lawsuits by some of the business owners if paid parking is implemented.

 

“I’m going to hire a lawyer if this goes down,” said Kathy Kochs, owner of Sweetwater Boating Supplies.

 

Kochs said she has worked too hard for a long time to lose the gradual increase in customers entering her store every year to paid-parking.  

 

John Lustina, owner of the popular Beer Church, said he invested four million dollars to turn an over 160 year old church building into a business he claimed brings the most people into the city before issuing an ultimatum.

 

“If you put these meters in front of my business, we will be seeking reimbursement for all of the money we’ve spent in the last seven years,” said

 

Initially, Mayor Vance Price expressed doubt that people would stop coming to the city if they had to pay to park.

 

However, several local business owners, who reside in St. Joseph, pointed to a drastic loss of customers in that lakefront community’s downtown after pay to park there was imposed.

 

Maria Crawford, owner of Brewster’s restaurant, said someone having to pay $2 to park to grab a $5 sandwich or cup of coffee might choose to simply drive away.

 

“That is unreasonable.  There are other options the city can explore,” she said.

 

Diane Pysho, a member of the New Buffalo Downtown Development Authority, announced she’s against charging a fee to park.

 

“For the first time in years, we have fully occupied storefronts.  New Buffalo’s main street success is no coincidence and can be easily destroyed by ill-timed interference,” she said.

 

Eventually, Price seemed to soften his position on the matter while City Councilman Rich Knoll promised to revisit the matter with his colleagues on the governing body.

 

“We’ll talk this over,” Knoll said.

 

The decision to charge for parking comes at a time when the city is looking for additional revenue sources to offset the expense of tourists coming into the community without placing the burden on local taxpayers and solutions to a parking shortage.

 

Business owners suggested enforcing the existing three hour parking limit with stiff fines to generate  revenue instead of charging people to park.