The Stonebridge Town Council postponed a decision Tuesday on whether to install metered parking along Water Street, after a hearing that ran well past its scheduled close. More than ninety residents signed up to speak, and the council chamber filled to standing room before the first agenda item.
Supporters argued that all-day free parking near the river lets commuters occupy spaces that should turn over for shoppers. Opponents, many of them owners of small storefronts, warned that meters would push visitors toward the retail parks off the bypass.
What the plan actually proposes
The draft ordinance would affect roughly one hundred and forty spaces between the footbridge and the old mill. Under the current version, the town would:
- Charge one dollar per hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday
- Keep the first thirty minutes free to protect quick errands
- Reserve twelve spaces for a new loading zone behind the market row
Council members asked staff to return with revenue projections and a comparison to nearby towns before the next session. A revised vote is expected within a month, and the chair urged residents to keep submitting written comment in the meantime.
Related: Local Affairs · School board weighs later start times
Further reading: Parking
Leave a Reply