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Pocono commissioners split on rescinding Mountain View Park parking fee after pilot year loss
Summary
After a pilot year that lost roughly $4,800, commissioners and residents clashed over whether to rescind a $10 per-car parking fee at Mountain View Park; the motion to rescind failed on a 2-2 roll-call split.
The Pocono Township Board of Commissioners debated whether to rescind a $10 per-car parking fee at Mountain View Park after staff reported the pilot lost about $4,816 in its first year.
Supporters of keeping the fee argued the charge reduced wear and tear and subsidized park upkeep. "If the program becomes profitable, the goal was to put it back into the park," a township official said when asked where any surplus would go. Residents backing the fee said it helped offset operating costs and deterred nuisance behavior.
Opponents said the fee deterred families and reduced park use. One commissioner told the board the park felt "significantly less busy" and said that families and visitors are less likely to go if they must pay. "It's not fun playing on your own at the playground," a resident said while urging the board to rescind the fee.
Board members also discussed the program's operational costs, including paying parking attendants; staff acknowledged staffing costs contributed to the loss. The board emphasized the pilot nature of the program: "The goal was never to become profitable," a commissioner said; "if we break even, fantastic."
A roll-call vote on the motion to rescind produced a split recorded in the minutes as two votes in favor and two opposed; the motion failed and the fee remains in place for the coming season. The board discussed monitoring the pilot this year and reevaluating results after a full season.
