Marilyn Perez, Blog Production and Social Media Coordinator for A Little Beacon Blog steps away from the computer to pose as a meter maid for this picture.

UPDATE 3/7/16: This article was shared on Facebook and has over 45 votes so far from the public.

The Great Parking Meter Debate in Beacon has started - again. Why is our little city talking about parking meters all of a sudden? According to  a recent article in The Paper from Beacon beat reporter Jeff Sims, this debate is an overflow issue that stemmed from talks with the developers of The Beacon Theater. The development talks have brought to light the so-called "1964 provision," which requires a building built after 1964 to provide a certain number of off-street parking spaces, based on the building's use; those constructed before 1964 do not. The Beacon Theater was built in 1934.

For the regular resident, however, the issue is its own: It's entirely possible we'll be getting parking meters that we (as a city) need to pay for, get tickets from, and need to plan ahead to bring money for. On the other end of the spectrum, the streets won't get parking meters or paid parking, and we'll just pull our cars up to a building, run inside to do something, and move along down the street to run inside somewhere else.

City Council members like George Mansfield are intending for the paid parking on Main Street to incentivize people to walk more, according to the March 4th article in The Paper. Mayor Randy Casale, who has shown how much he values streetscaping on Main Street by watering the hanging baskets of flowers himself, told the Poughkeepsie Journal: “We’re doing it because we believe parking is not free, [that] there is a cost to parking,” he said. “We believe that parking spaces in Main Street should be turned over. They shouldn’t be able to park there all day.”

Poughkeepsie has recently announced that the city will  eliminate its paid parking on Saturdays, at the request of local businesses. (The program started less than a year ago, in June.) Additionally, the article reveals, revenue collected from the parking meters was low on Saturdays. The rate will also be lowered from $1.50 per hour to $1 per hour.

Beacon's proposed starting point is $1 per hour. This isn't the first time Beacon has had parking meters, or paid street parking. We reached out to the Beacon Historical Society to help us with a search back in time to see how Beacon's paid parking worked out the first time. They dug deep into Google and found an article published in 1979 in The Evening News. According to that article, a 70 percent shortfall in projected revenue from parking meters in Beacon was cited as a reason to remove the meters. In that same story, Mayor George Tomlinson said, “I think this [the removal of the parking meters] gives the merchants a wonderful opportunity.”



Being that we are keepers of The Things To Do In Beacon Guides, which involve all shops on Main Street, we are particularly interested in the outcome of the parking meters. Mayor Casale has suggested using a different kind of parking meter system, which would involve electronically tagging a license plate so that a car could move spaces during the day. Would that modern method make a difference?

Therefore, this weekend we are launching Operation Meter Maid, and asking all shop owners for their opinions on paid parking. If you are a shop owner, please comment below or email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com with this information:

• Your name (indicate if you want to remain anonymous in the article publishing the poll results)
• Your store name and address (same as above if you wish for anonymity, but indicate the area of town your store is located in)
• Your answer: 
• Yes to paid parking or meters
• No to paid parking or meters
• I don't have time to think about it - I'm sure it will work out

To be continued...