Old Orchard Beach parking fees to increase this summer

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Visitors who park in the downtown can expect to see an increase in parking meter fees later this summer.

The Town Council voted Tuesday night to extend the paid downtown parking season and to increase parking meter fees from $2 an hour to $3 an hour.

Parking meters on Old Orchard and First streets and other areas downtown will now be operating from May 1 to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Previously, downtown parking was metered from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Parking in municipal lots at Milliken Street and Memorial Park, and after business hours at Town Hall will also now be pay-to-use from May 1 to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Town residents can purchase permits from Town Hall to park at municipal parking lots and on-street metered parking during the paid parking season, and non-residents can purchase permits to park at the Milliken Street parking lot.

The newly voted-in measure ads about 55 days to the parking meter season, according to Interim Town Manager Diana Asanza.

The new parking rate of $3 an hour will go into effect later this summer.

Police Chief Dana Kelley said that the parking meter kiosks and the older style parking meters that are still in some areas of the downtown will need to be reprogrammed to reflect the change in fee.

“I can’t give you an exact date. All I can tell you is we have been in touch with the people who will do it and they will get to it just as soon as they can,” said Kelley.

Council Chairman Shawn O’Neill asked Kelley if he could stress to the companies reprogramming the kiosks and meters that the town would like to have the new fee schedule in place by July 4 weekend, and the police chief said he would let them know.

The town typically makes about $420,000 a year from seasonal parking permit and parking meter fees, said Asanza.

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