CORNWALL, Ontario – Cornwall City Council approved the waiver of some parking restrictions at parking meters and in pay-for parking lots in the city for the month of December.
At their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13, council approved to lift parking restrictions at all meters and lots every day of the month of December from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is currently free everywhere on weekends and everyday after 6 p.m.
The request was made by the local Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) Downtown and Le Village as well as the Chamber of Commerce.
Council past a similar waiver last year, but unlike last year, Council chose to take a step further and waive parking restrictions throughout the City.
“All of Pitt St. North is not in the downtown, so I think it would only be fair to them if they had free parking as well as the BIAs,” reasoned Mark Boileau, General Manager for Planning, Development and Recreation. “I would do it all because it is fair for shop local.”
Council agreed. Administration estimated that this will result in a loss of parking revenue for the city of approximately $7,000, or 1.5 percent of the total forecasted revenue for 2018.
Councillor and Mayor-elect Bernadette Clement applauded the idea, but hoped to get some feedback from local merchants on the results of the waiver.
“Would be great to gather comments from merchants,” she said. “We’d like to get some feedback as to how it is received, if it is helpful and if there should be any changes.”
Boileau informed Council that the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce will get the word out about the waiver via social media and that signs would be put up in municipal pay-for parking lots.
