Downtown Trenton businesses appreciative of city’s waived parking fees

At Monday’s Quinte West council meeting, council decided to continue the waiving of parking fees due to the recent extension of provincial COVID-19 lockdown measures until Feb. 9. Photo taken by James Tubb.

By James Tubb

BELLEVILLE – Customers of businesses in downtown Trenton aren’t the only ones to benefit from the city’s waiving of parking fees. 

“We have people running businesses downtown and trying to feed their families, trying to pay their bills. We can’t afford losing our downtown and our businesses,” Quinte West Coun. David McCue said on Tuesday.

On Monday, Quinte West council extended the waiving of parking fees until Feb. 9 due to the extension of the provincial COVID-19 lockdown measures.

McCue was in favour and very vocal at Monday’s council meeting about continuing to waive the fees  at city parking lots and on-street meters.

McCue says he was discouraged to hear of downtown Trenton businesses being closed in January yet many others remained open for curbside pick up.

“We are citizens supporting citizens and we are all in this boat together. We all need our downtown,” McCue said.

Angela Wildish, owner of Vivacious Clothing and Day Spa at 101 Dundas St W in Trenton, said the waived fees allow people to pick up their online orders easier.

“People are coming in for a quick stop and don’t want to put 50 cents in the meter for such a quick trip,” she said.

Vivacious has switched to online orders, using Facebook’s auction capabilities. She receives orders via direct message on Facebook. Wildish says she has noticed business has picked up during the second wave as customers know they can park for free.

“It is a positive because we can only do pick up and people can step in and out and don’t have to worry about getting a ticket,” Wildish said.

Lisa Kuypers-Schroedter, the executive director of the Trenton Downtown Business Improvement Area,  says the waived fees allow for Trenton’s downtown businesses to continue operate.

“The downtown merchants are very happy with the extension of the waived parking fees. It helps our retail businesses with curbside pickup and restaurants with take out orders in this trying time,” she said.

The waiving of parking fees means the city will lose about $9,000 a month in parking revenue, according to a staff report.

“In tough times we have to the make tough decisions,” McCue said.