BERLIN, Md. -- Town officials agreed earlier this week to reallocate American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA) funds to help with parking. Councilmembers and business owners hope this will beef up the town's parking options.
Issues surrounding parking have been on the minds of town officials for a while now. They aim to add more parking, and officials hope to repave some lots that are beginning to break down.
Councilmember Steve Greene told us on Friday this is the first time the town has had this kind of money to help with parking. In total, $64,102.80, plus a lien item of $100, will now be used for future parking projects.
It's music to the ears of business owners, like Larnet St. Amant at Bruder Hill, who said her customers are well aware of the parking challenges.
"That's all I hear, and I leave the door open as much as I can. I watch cars of women and men and women drive through the post office and just do a circle," said St. Amant. There's no place to go, and then I wonder, did they leave? Did they get discouraged?"
St. Amant said the biggest problem is town employees.
"We have unbelievable shops, unbelievable services, restaurants, but there are many, many employees," said St. Amant."If you come through town around 9:00, 9:15 in the morning, there's tons of spots, but by the time stores are getting ready to open all the spots are taken."
The town tried to solve that problem by striking a deal with St. Paul's Episcopal Church, which now allows employees to park in the church's lot. Greene also told us the town is still working on building a new lot within walking distance of downtown.
Greene could not give us an exact location for the new lot because the town is still negotiating.
However, Green told us thathe's hopeful the nearly $65,000 in ARPA funds will help kickstart that project.
Robin Tomaselli, who owns Baked Dessert Cafe in Berlin, hopes it does too but said the town has a difficult task ahead.
"There's not really an easy solution when, you know, you have to preserve the charm of this historic little town while also trying to figure out how you add parking," said Tomaselli.
Berlin is continuing to push ahead to overcome parking challenges.
