Last night a public meeting was held at The Village Restaurant, Church Street, Canajoharie regarding the parking situation in the village. As it stands now, the DOT and Village plans for repaving streets and replacing sidewalks includes removing parking from one side of Church Street, the main business district of the village. (read more here).
The meeting filled the restaurant, with business owners, local business employees and area residents. No village officials attended the meeting.
John Peruzzi, of Peruzzi’s Meat Market, opened the meeting. During the five hours on Monday when there was no parking on the west side of Church Street (where his business is located) he did $14.75 worth of business. The next day during the same 5 hour period, he did $301.00 worth of business. He said this strongly shows the detriment of less parking on Church Street.
Business owners were told the reason for removing parking was a safety issue, because vehicles were having mirrors broken off. In regards to safety, Peruzzi noted, he saw vehicles speeding up much quicker to beat traffic lights, as opposed to driving slower to cautiously make it up the street. “Would you rather have someone driving down the street at 10-15 mph with a foot on the brake, or 30-35 mph with the foot on the gas?” Peruzzi asked.
Parking lots away from downtown, such as behind the Eagles building, does not work for many people, Peruzzi noted. There are many elderly people who shop downtown, and in the winter it would prove hazardous walking greater distances on ice and snow. “‘No Parking’ intrepreates to me ‘No Business’”.
Shannon Hyney, of The Village Restaurant, had processed some numbers of what no parking could mean to the area.
The state plans on removing 10 parking spaces. If people shop less downtown, and using the very conservative estimate of a business losing $5 per day per per spot, in one week a business will lose $350. In one year $18,200. In ten years $182,000. Times that by 10 businesses, and the village is loosing $1,820,000 in income, according to Hyney.
These losses would be translated into rent increases, layoffs, higher prices, shops being opened less hours, and restaurants serving smaller portions.
Shannon Hyney also stated that the business has been struggling for the past several years, with the refurbishing of storefronts the last two years, the closure of the Route 10 bridge the year before, and the flood the year before that. “And now we will lose business because of mirrors?” he asks.
He also noted that last week 2 mirrors were broken off of parked vehicles, during the one-sided parking trial.
Hyney also looked into The American Disabilities Act, which states that sidewalks need to be a minimum of five feet wide. The sidewalks downtown are currently 8’9″ wide. The street could be widened without loss of parking simply by cutting back sidewalks.
Don LaComb of Don’s Electric Heating and Plumbing, said while a lot of his business is home parts and service, he does have an appliance showroom on Church Street. During the No Parking Trial, he did not have one person in to even look at appliances. “I would let them cut down as much sidewalk as they need to, if we can keep parking on Church Street”.
Currently, the DOT is not considering a plan to cut back sidewalks. LaComb said if letting the DOT repave the streets gives them full right to do what they please for the design of downtown, then “we should keep the streets ourselves.”
Laurie Weingart of Krutz Properties spoke up as well. She has a vision for Canajoharie. People stopping at this quaint little town on there way to Cooperstown or the Adirondacks. If they are driving through and cannot find convenient parking, they most likely won’t circle the block to find a space, they will just continue on their way.
She also noted that the increased traffic speed from the No Parking Trial caused her “windows to shake”.
“I lost two mirrors in 17 years. Big deal. Two mirrors or our businesses? We don’t need numbers, we need common sense.” said Weingart.
Barb Sprakers also spoke up on the fact that no village officials appeared at the meeting. She mentioned how her family has owned one type of business or another in the village for over 100 years, and remembered when you could work with the village officials for the best interest of the village. “Now, they just tell me that I live 1/4 mile from the village”.
John closed the meeting by suggesting all concerned parties attend the next village board meeting on December 1st at 7pm, in hopes to have their voices heard.
I was not at the meeting last night(I wanted to be there) & I am not a business owner, but I do shop on Main St all the time trying to support local businesses. I only stopped once last week when the parking was on my side of the street. The rest of the time unfortunately, I was on the wrong side and didn’t have time to circle back and look for parking so I just drove on & did my shopping elsewhere. I am hopeful that the Village officials will consider the voice’s of the businesses as well as the average person & find another solution.