Swampscott probes parking proposal

SWAMPSCOTT – Several business owners agreed that parking on Humphrey Street is a problem.But there was ample disagreement about whether electronic parking meters would be an effective solution to the problem.”I think it would be great,” said Janine Hill of Marvelheads Hair Salon. “It would be more fair to everybody.””Totally opposed,” said Judy Golditch, proprietor of Maison de Mer boutique. “If a customer gets a ticket, they might never come back.”At their meeting on Tuesday, Selectmen are scheduled to discuss installing electronic parking kiosks on Humphrey Street between the Fish House and the Lynn / Swampscott border, according to Parking Clerk and Town Accountant Dave Castellarin.The discussion is in the early stages – Castellarin said that even if selectmen endorse the idea, a plan still has to be developed and approved by the Capital Improvements Committee and paid for by voters at Town Meeting.These are also not your standard parking meters.The town would use “pay-and-display” kiosks that look like skinny ATMs, and accept payments in cash, credit cards and even cards with specially designated accounts.The patron selects a time period ranging from 15 minutes to multiple hours – although Castellarin said that the Traffic Study Committee would recommend that current limits of two hours on the ocean side of the street and one hour on the other side remain the same – and the kiosk prints a ticket that patrons put on the inside of the driver’s side door. Castellarin said it was like “a post-it note.”At a rate of $1 per hour, Castellarin estimates that the town would receive $250,000 in annual revenue, not including fines for overtime or expired time.Castellarin said that the town would have 30 meters to monitor the 244 spaces on both sides of Humphrey Street between the Lynn border and the Fish House. The cost to install would range from $230,000 to $285,000, depending on the model the town selects.Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said that the town had discussed parking meters a few years ago, and even voted to put in metered spaces at the commuter rail station, but no decision had been made on whether to continue the discussion.Recently, the selectmen decided to revisit the issue, he said.Humphrey Street business owners interviewed on Thursday morning all said that finding parking was an issue for customers. But each had a different reaction to the idea of meters based on the services they offered customers.Karen Lin, owner of Yan’s China Bistro, said that the current limits work well for her dine-in customers. She said that the Hadley School lot is mostly empty during the dinner rush and provides additional spaces for patrons.”It works out very well,” she said.As long as limits are enforced, she said that her customers are generally able to find parking. She also wouldn’t mind seeing the town install meters to raise revenue.”If they can just pay money, then I’d rather have it stay as it is now, where you have an hour limit.”Charles Gomes, owner of Hot Cheese Pizza, also approved of the parking meters.”The town is going to make more money and we won’t have problems with people parking [in front] and going to the beach,” he said.But he had specific recommendations. While Lin’s customers primarily dine in the restaurant, Hot Cheese Pizza offers pick-up and delivery.With the first 15 minutes free, most of his customers wouldn’t need to pay a fee. But he suggested that special spots with specific limits be designated for businesses n particularly businesses that have high turnover in customers.”We try to keep a space empty in front,” he said. “But especially in summertime, somebody will stop and park, pick up something, then go to the beach for five or six hours.”Maison de Mer owner Golditch agreed in specially-designated spaces for business employees. But making it a paid space would be “just too difficult,” she said.”I run in and out 10 times a day,” she said. “If I would have to put money in a meter each time it would drive