Old Orchard Beach metered parking season may get longer

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The town could decide this week to extend the parking meter season and increase parking meter fees.

There is currently street-side metered parking along Old Orchard and First Streets and areas in the downtown from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day, and parking fees of $2 an hour are enforced from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. During this period, there is paid parking at town-owned lots on Milliken Street and Memorial Park, and after business hours at Town Hall. Parking meters are typically removed on Memorial Day and downtown parking is free in the off-season.

The town also issues both resident and non-resident parking permits for town lots and on-street pay-to-park spaces. Resident parking permits for the town parking lots are $50, and resident parking permits that can be used at both the town parking lots and on pay-to-park on-street spaces are $75. Non-resident parking permits for the Milliken Street parking lot are $150 for daytime parking and $300 for overnight parking.

On Tuesday, June 15, the Town Council will vote on whether to change the paid parking season so that it begins on May 1 and ends on Indigenous People’s Day. This would extend the season about 55 days.

The Town Council will also vote whether to increase metered parking fees to $3 an hour.

The town collects about $420,000 annually from parking permit and parking meter fees, said Interim Town Manager Diana Asanza in an email.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.