The parking debacle

To the Editor:

Before the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic struck in March, you couldn’t find a parking spot in downtown Kincardine. It’s getting to be that way again.

The reasons are many.

Kincardine council allows developers to proceed with projects without providing parking (the municipality takes money in lieu of parking spaces).

Many buildings in the downtown have been converted to office space from commercial establishments. As a result, office workers park all day downtown. (According to the new parking bylaw on the municipal website, you can’t leave your car on the street for more than 12 consecutive hours. Does that make sense?)

Finally, Kincardine council refuses to enforce parking bylaws downtown. Why waste the time painting handicapped-parking spaces around town when anyone can use them because of a lack of bylaw enforcement?

In approving changes to the site plan agreement with the developer at 841, 845 and 851 Queen Street, councillor Laura Haight concludes, in granting relief for parking, “We need to bring people into the downtown core.”

Really? You would never know it by the municipality’s actions of the past 20 years.

Council approved the move of the municipal offices to the country, a move that hurt many businesses downtown. Council sat by and watched the liquor store move from downtown and watched the last grocery store downtown close. Council also bought land downtown for parking and, subsequently, sold it.

If there is inadequate parking in the downtown, retail will disappear. And who will rent the new retail space council has just approved if there is no parking?

Eric Howald
Kincardine