Elimination of on-street parking stirs dissent among Wiscasset businesses
Several business owners in Wiscasset are voicing their opposition to a vote by the town’s board of selectmen to move ahead with a proposal from the Maine Department of Transportation that eliminates on-street parking from a section of downtown.
The Lincoln County News reports that the option, which the DOT proposed to alleviate traffic congestion, will see the elimination of on-street parking between the intersections of Middle and Water streets with Route 1.
Several downtown business owners and members of the Wiscasset Historic Preservation Commission argue that the elimination of parking would be detrimental to downtown Wiscasset’s identity and harm several businesses in the downtown, Lincoln County News reported.
The largest worries, according to the paper, are that eliminating on-street parking would reduce access for both delivery vehicles and handicapped parking. Customers would also have difficulty transporting bulky items.
The project, which still has a few additional steps to go through before construction can begin, is slated to begin in 2017.
"Are there issues? Yes. Some that probably haven't even been identified yet," DOT Project Manager Gerry Audibert told the Lincoln County News. "I can't say we'll make everyone happy, but we will do the best we can."
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