Montclair's business district
is expanding, but they've got a parking problem right now, as the midtown parking lot along Glenridge Avenue closed earlier this week
to allow for construction on a new parking deck there.
But the closure angered some
business owners who say there wasn't enough parking for their customers in the
area.
"If you take away parking and people come here to the town and can’t
park, the chances that they are not going to shop or dine here are big,” says Michael
Martinez, manager of an animal hospital. “They are just going to go somewhere else."
City leaders are working
with the businesses on an alternative parking plan and are accepting the blame
for the lack of proper planning.
"We should all take responsibility in the town,” says Montclair
Councilman Peter Yacobellis. “This was a communication breakdown, this was a communication failure, and
we need to do better."
The parking deck project is expected to be completed in a year.