ATHOL – At its meeting Tuesday night, the Selectboard approved a survey for downtown merchants, asking their opinions about the efficacy of the parking meters along Main and Exchange streets.

The survey was authored by board member Rebecca Bialecki, after a vote two weeks ago to poll merchants at the urging of fellow board member Brian Dodge.

Merchants are being asked to answer four questions:

Do you think the meters are effective in limiting cars being parked too long?

Would you like to see the current meters stay in place?

Is the enforcement helpful for your business?

Would you like to see the current meters updated to allow options for payment?

The questionnaire also leaves space for merchants to add additional thoughts regarding the parking situation in downtown Athol. Those completing the survey are asked to return it to Administrative Assistant Bridget Armentrout at Town Hall.

The board voted to set Jan. 30 as the deadline for surveys to be returned, according to Town Manager Shaun Suhoski. Members also approved approved a motion that ‘parking ambassador’ Paul Landry be given the task of distributing the questionnaire to merchants within the Parking Benefits District.

At a Selectboard meeting on Dec. 17 it was pointed out that, several years ago, a petition asking that enforcement of the two-hour parking meters be resumed was signed by over 70 downtown business owners and patrons. There had been complaints at that time that vehicles belonging to residents of nearby apartments or downtown employees were parked in spaces all day long, making it inconvenient for those with business downtown.

At the urging of the town’s Downtown Vitality Committee, the Selectboard voted in March 2021 to increase the cost of metered parking from 25 cents to 50 cents per hour, with a two-hour limit at each space. That same year, Town Meeting approved an article to establish the Downtown Parking Benefits District and the creation of a committee to make recommendations for the disbursement of parking meter receipts and recommend improvements for the downtown area.

At the June 2024 Annual Town Meeting, voters endorsed spending $31,000 recommended by the Downtown Parking Benefits District Oversight Committee. This included $18,600 for the purchase of 25 new parking meters, $8,400 to cover the pay of the parking ambassador, and $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses. Last fall, the Oversight Committee, at the recommendation of the Downtown Vitality Committee, voted to use a portion of the $3,000 for new wayfinding signage for downtown.

Landry began his duties as parking ambassador in December of 2022 and some residents, many of whom had grown used to lax enforcement of parking meters over a number of years, have complained to town officials about receiving parking tickets at expired meters. The citations cost $10.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.