If the rates go up, no one will come. Since I can’t park near a business I want to go to, I’m sure not going to pay $1.00 an hour extra for a cup of coffee. The Daily Treat will be among the first ones to suffer. That free parking for customers lot will soon be out lawed. Since the VC seems to be surprised by how much they have to pay so that Ridgewood customers can pay extra to park, what boondoggles will they not be prepared for next? Since they seem to expect that all the new housing will make a profit for the town, maybe that is all we should turn to for raising money? (of course that assumes that water will suddenly leap out of the ground, people will only want to walk so no traffic lights or changes, etc. etc.) Has anyone actually asked any business owner if they would be willing to pay an extra $5.00 per table to earn money at their site? The village just assumes they will be eager to provide free parking so more people will come. Their budgets are squeezed as tightly as they can be, and that’s a big chunk of ever reducing profits. maybe a crystal ball would be more accurate!
