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Milford council tables paid-parking plan after hours of public comment
Summary
Milford council paused consideration of paid parking in two downtown lots after dozens of residents and business owners urged alternatives such as employee parking programs, improved signage and time‑limited stalls. Council emphasized the proposal aimed at turnover, not revenue.
Milford — After an hour of public testimony and extensive council discussion on Aug. 19, the Milford City Council voted to table consideration of a paid‑parking pilot that would have applied only to two off‑street lots downtown (the Harvest Market lot and a nearby bank lot).
Council framed the proposal as a turnover tool, not a revenue generator, to free spaces on busy nights and weekends. “We are not putting parking meters downtown,” the mayor reiterated during opening remarks, stressing the plan’s focus on managed turnover and flexible hour and rate settings.
Why it mattered: Dozens of small-business owners told council that pay‑to‑park could depress customer traffic and said the core problem was employees occupying customer spaces. Brian Hirsch, owner of a downtown restaurant, urged a short‑term parking limit for the city lots and said, “If you go to a paid‑park situation, you’ve got to enforce that,” warning that pay stations could be “devastating” for small restaurants.
Business owners and residents proposed alternative or complementary measures: designating after‑hours employee parking in underused city lots, clearer wayfinding signage to existing public lots (the “pit”), time‑limited free parking (for example, two‑hour stalls), negotiated agreements with privately owned lots for evening use, and targeted enforcement to ensure compliance with time limits.
Council response and next steps: Several council members said the council will convene meetings with downtown business owners to identify employee‑parking solutions and better signage. After public comment, the body voted to table the paid‑parking contract at tonight’s meeting; the mayor said the matter will be revisited only after more stakeholder consultation. The motion to table passed by roll call vote.
What’s next: Council asked staff to pursue meetings with downtown businesses and to return with concrete options for employee parking, signage and potential low‑cost shuttle solutions before advancing any paid-parking contract.
