EASTON, Pa. – Easton City Council authorized the city to hire a parking consultant to assess the city’s parking system Wednesday night at the Easton Area Community Center.
Councilmember Crystal Rose, the bill’s sponsor, said the move should help make “smart planning choices” and address what she claims is the administration’s voracious appetite to cut deals with developers to occupy significant spaces downtown at the expense of some businesses and residents.
She described her legislation as “fair” and said it would not eliminate giving spots to developers. Rather, the bill would provide more City Council oversight into those deals.
Mayor Sal Panto didn’t see it that way, saying the bill was “teetering” into usurping executive or administrative responsibilities, thus ultimately handcuffing him to produce a balanced budget. He reminded City Council that the city is not “giving away” anything to developers. Rather, the spots are being purchased. The purchases create revenue which helps pay for services and holds the line on taxing residents and businesses.
The mayor did not mince words, calling Rose’s bill “anti-development.”
Rose denied the bill was anti-development.
Councilmember Frank Pintabone voted for the legislation but added he didn’t want City Council micromanaging the issue, either.
One thing all sides who spoke, including City Administrator Luis Campos, agreed on was that a parking study done by a consultant would prove beneficial to Easton.
The consultant will have various tasks. This includes analyzing Easton’s parking supply and demand across city-owned parking facilities and on-street parking. The individual or firm will also review utilization rates and operational performance of parking garages and surface lots, along with assessing parking meter systems, pricing structures and payment technologies.
Any parking review involves enforcement, and the consultant will be asked to review enforcement practices and then offer revenue optimization strategies. Other responsibilities include reviewing on-street parking space programs — including time-limiting parking, permit zones and shared-use designations — and assessing handicap parking compliance, distribution and effectiveness.
The consultant will also evaluate loading zones and curb management strategies, assess current and projected parking needs in relation to residential and commercial development, and determine neighborhood impacts. The last action will be for the consultant to recommend short- and long-term parking policies, capital investments and management strategies.
Easton City Council met Wednesday night at the Easton Area Community Center.
WFMZ-TV | Steve Althouse
New 15-minute parking
City Council approved amending Easton’s traffic control map to create a 15-minute parking space and drop-off/pick up zone on North Second Street across from the Governor Wolf building. This space will be designated for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The current meter is designated handicap.
Centre Square
City Council also approved an agreement for the installation of new seating walls in the northeast and northwest quadrants of Centre Square.
The project includes the removal of existing Belgian block and installation of new seating walls.
The new seating walls are consistent with the updated design elements of Centre Square. Currently, the existing seating areas are in disrepair and do not coordinate with the newly installed improvements.