Parking woes irritate merchants on Main Street

While some Main Street business owners are complaining about much-needed parking spaces downtown, other downtown merchants are compounding the problem by continuing to park on Main Street.

This is a habit that irritates Diamond Jewelry owner Moody Stinson, who can?t understand why a Main Street business employee might steer away a potential customer by taking a prime parking space.

?Everyone, owner or employee, who insists on parking on Main Street takes a parking space away from a customer,? said Stinson. ?It makes good business sense to park in the back parking lot instead of right in front of your own business, but some just won?t listen.?

The owner of Main Street Bakery, Linda Holland, agrees. Although she didn?t want to go on record as to which businesses are prone to taking customer spaces, she did point out that it happens.

?That?s the biggest part of the problem,? said Holland. ?People who work on Main Street, park on Main Street. I don?t park on Main and I tell my employees not to. Let?s not make it convenient for ourselves. Let?s make it convenient for our customers. We need to be more diligent about using the back parking lot.?

While some merchants have voiced a desire for their own parking space on Main Street, other merchants, including Stinson and Holland, think that will just take away more spaces that could otherwise be used for customers.

Since more spaces cannot be made, wisely using the spaces available is the only solution, some business owners believe.

In March 2006, the city announced it would begin to strictly enforce parking downtown after stopping the practice due to Main Street construction. Despite this, some merchants say this hasn?t been done.

McMinnville Police Chief Charlie Sewell, who came into office after the fact, reports that parking regulations on Main Street are regularly enforced throughout the day and added, ?I wasn?t aware of any problems with enforcement but I will definitely look into any problems that might exist.?

The idea of bringing back parking meters was also voiced. According to Holland, meters would help with enforcement.

?Right now people can argue that they aren?t over the limit,? said Holland. ?If there is a meter, that ends the argument. Either they didn?t put money in the meter or they are over the limit. I think meters would help.?

Recognizing the problem ? a lack of parking spaces ? has always been easy. It?s the solution that is elusive.

Alderman Billy Wood has heard several business owners around the courthouse request 30-minute parking spaces. Stinson hopes that or some action is taken because a lack of available parking spaces is hurting downtown businesses, including his own.

?It?s definitely hurting businesses,? said Stinson. ?If people can?t get close to your business, they will drive on by and go somewhere else. I know my business has been affected.?