The College's recent purchase of an empty lot in downtown Hanover may pave the way for the construction of a 250-car parking garage, an addition local businesses say is a vital step toward solving Hanover's parking crisis.
Hanover Police currently write between 150 and 200 tickets per day to violators, and business owners complain that the lack of spaces forces consumers to West Lebanon's shopping centers, which provide free parking.
"People say they've stopped coming to shop due to the severe parking shortage," said Marsha Lowsley, president of the store Foreign Accents.
Last month's sale of a vacant lot on East South Street to the College included a stipulation that 3,000 feet of street access be given or sold to the Town of Hanover.
This land, combined with adjoining property already owned by the town, will give the Ttown Council enough space to construct the lot, according to Clint Bean, the director of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce.
The proposal to build a 250-car garage was drafted several years ago, but Hanover had difficulty acquiring adequate property for construction.
Over the next two months, a special committee will be formed to examine the cost of building the garage, according to Town Manager Julia Griffin. Griffin said a working plan should be ready by early next year.
The proposed lot could cost more than $2 million, and funding would be shared by businesses and the town, she said. The town already loses $50,000 each year in an attempt to regulate town parking, paying for two parking technicians and lot and meter maintenance, Griffin said.
Currently, downtown workers face a daily struggle to find parking for themselves.
Two ten-hour metered parking lots serve many Main Street employees and a second lot at Thompson Arena provides additional spaces for employees willing to take a shuttle to downtown.
Local businessman Norm Hurd said many downtown employees cannot find a place in the two lots and are forced to "feed the meter" every hour with more coins.
At the time of The Dartmouth's interview Monday afternoon, Hurd's car had already been ticketed. He said it "wasn't worth it" to move his car.
Some people who work downtown lease spaces -- but prices are high. The town leases spaces for $75 per month, according to Griffin. Sheila Maccherone, the Freeman store manager, said "Some employees pay up to $120 a month for a space in Hanover."
Local businesses remain cynical about the proposed structure. Previous projects have been hindered by zoning and design questions, and some say townspeople lack the clout to convince the town to change the system.
Lowsley said the need for expanded parking is urgent. "The overall impact is a very negative one. People will say, 'I don't want to bother with Hanover anymore,'" she said.
