Editorial

By Jon A. Brake

A parking fight between the Manhattan Town Center and Poyntz Avenue Businesses will cause you to pay more in parking fines.

The Downtown Manhattan, Inc. Board voted Tuesday to ask the City of Manhattan to raise parking fines. The fine today is $2. If the City agrees with the Downtown Manhattan, Inc. Board fines will go up each time you receive a ticket. The City staff has other ideas. They what the fines to jump to $10.

The City of Manhattan wants everyone to believe that Manhattan is a Regional Shopping Center. People from a nine county area will drive to Manhattan to shop because we have the best Mall and retail stores in the area. That is true. We do have a great mall and stores but what are the two things that shoppers hate? Answer: Sales tax and parking tickets.

The problem is between the Mall employees and the businesses on Poyntz. The Mall has acres of parking and the businesses on Poyntz have limited parking.

Mall employees park in the all day areas of the two parking lots to the North and South of Poyntz between Third and Fourth and Poyntz Avenue business employee must park in the two hour stalls which are for store customers.

In the end, you and out of town shoppers are going to pay for a fight that should not take place.