Concord Parking Meter Ban Rejected at Town Meeting

CONCORD, MA—Montague gallery owner Bill Montague's push to ban parking meters in town took a devastating blow Tuesday, as Concord Town Meeting voted to reject his proposal to ban meters from town streets.

The Concord Select Board unanimously recommended that the town take no action on Article 29 during Town Meeting on April 5, which bans parking meters in town. The motion to ban meters later failed to pass both in the cafeteria and the auditorium of Concord-Carlisle High School by significant amounts, not necessitating a hand count.

During the meeting, Concord Selectman Steven Ng stated that the meters are essential to Concord's parking management plan.

"Imagine if there were no parking meters,"Ng said. "There would be no protection of these spaces from those who would park in these spaces for long periods of time...The parking meter serves as a way of designating spaces for those businesses in our districts."

Ng also added that the parking plan allows for spaces without time limits, within a short walk away from Concord center.

In a previous interview with Patch, Montague said that he believes that in turn local business are opting for pastures without parking meters, citing that Maynard has lost businesses due to parking meters.

“If you go through Maynard it’s a ghost town,” Montague told Patch.”There are stores for rent all over the place. 40 years ago that was a shopping town, everyone would go there to shop.”

Montague has made a significant push to oppose parking meters in town, offering a $3,000 check to the Select Board in October to cover the revenue from 28 parking meters for four weeks, according to a Concord Journal Report.

However, Concord resident William Kuesen stated during Town Meeting that removing meters would be a huge mistake, citing the parking turnover as his chief concern.

"Let's not blame the meters for the difficulties we merchants we may have coping with new retail realities," Kuesen said.

However, resident Kathy Little stated that the removal of meters allows visitors to spend their dollars in Concord, and allows residents to do business with local shops.