The phrase “time is money” translates to roughly $5
per hour if you plan on parking on Glendon Ave.
The 1100 Glendon Ave. parking lot is no longer accepting parking
validations from the Village Parking Program, leaving some Westwood
merchants wondering how this new twist in a long series of battles
will affect their businesses.
“It’s another blow for the merchants. We’re
working our tails off down here and we’re just getting
knocked around,” said Philip Gabriel, owner of Scrubs
Unlimited and former chairman of the parking committee for the
failed Business Improvement District.
Arden Realty owns the lot that holds approximately 500 cars and
claims that they needed to make room for their tenants.
“We weren’t getting any income from their program. I
told them for some time that the time would come where we were more
fully occupied,” said Deirdre Baird, the property manager for
Arden Realty.
The program allows merchants to validate customers for two hours
of parking for $1 rather than the normal $5.25 per hour.
Under the program, merchants bought 100 tickets for $100. Arden
Realty now only accepts validation from companies in their
building.
They charge these companies $175 for a stub of 100 tickets, with
each ticket now worth only 20 minutes of validated parking.
The withdrawal of the 1100 Glendon Ave. parking lot from the
program now leaves only three of the original six lots accepting
validation from the Village Parking Program.
Many fear a lack of accessible and affordable parking will drive
away customers who live outside of the Village.
“I think it is morally wrong, outrageous and the worst
thing they could have done to make themselves not a part of the
community,” said Marcus Rosner, owner of Morgan and Co.
Jewelers about Arden Realty.
Rosner said it is also the city’s responsibility to help
out in this situation, but “they don’t give a damn
about the Village.”
Rosner personally made his concerns known to Councilman Jack
Weiss, who represents Westwood, and was told the Department of
Transportation was looking into the matter.
Rosner does not expect parking to be free, but only said it
should be available and reasonable.
Other merchants located near the Arden building said the
validation program was too expensive for them to partake in and the
Arden lot is too expensive for their customers.
The alternative for them is to park on the streets with meters,
in alleys or in lots further away.
Some businesses even bring orders out to customers waiting in
the street who can’t find parking.