Police Chief Breaks Down New Parking Permit Regulation

Collingswood’s recent announcement to institute a for borough employees, business owners and their staff has raised public concerns and questions. 

Patch spoke with Collingswood Police Chief Richard Sarlo, who clarified specifics of the , which be enforced beginning Oct. 1. 

Collingswood Patch: What was the motivation behind creating parking permit fees?

Sarlo: The borough has always issued permits to their employees and business staff, however no fees were ever placed on the permits (until recently).

CP: Explain the cost breakdown for purchasing a parking permit, and exactly who is required to purchase permits. 

Sarlo: The cost of a business parking permit will be $132 per employee—regardless of whether (those employees) are part-time or full-time. This breaks down to $11 per month, or $2.75 per week. The current rate for a parking space (when using the parking kiosks downtown) is 50¢ an hour. For an eight-hour workday, parking would cost $4 daily (using kiosks, as opposed to about 40¢ a day on a seven-day workweek using a permit).

CP: How will police enforce permit parking?

Sarlo: Each permit applicant will receive a permit (decal) issued by the chief of police. This permit (decal) must be displayed on the applicant’s vehicle. 

CP: What happens to employees of a business who only work seasonally, such as a college student, for example, who only works at a borough business in the summer months, when school is not in session?

Sarlo: We do offer a temporary parking permit for seasonal employees. Temporary permits can be issued for one-month, two-month, three-month, four-month periods, and so on. Temporary permits may be purchased for $11 per month (the same rate annual parking permit holders pay per month). 

CP: Are there any other options besides buying a parking permit?

Sarlo: Employees who do not elect to pay the permit fee may utilize the garage system, which has an eight-hour daily parking rate of $3.

When compared to parking permit costs for businesses in Haddonfield, Collingswood’s $132 annual permit fee is less costly.

According to Haddonfield’s official website, parking spaces are available to purchase at $127.50 per quarter, bringing the annual fee to $510.

For Collingswood, that amounts to $378 less per year than Haddonfield’s parking regulations charge. 

Haddonfield’s only other option: a parking lot on Chestnut Street, which is available for use at $75 per quarter and $300 per year—still $168 more than Collingswood’s .