Parking is never easy during the summer months in Margate. It’s only going to get worse with controversial parking meter installations along the Amherst Ave. bayfront.
A long line of concerned home-owners and businesses voiced their displeasure with Margate leadership. LISTEN:
Local residents and business owners believe the Margate Mayor and other city officials did a poor job of communicating the issue.
May 27 is the start date for parking meters along Amherst Ave. in Margate.
Many question whether Commisioners Amodeo and Blumberg reached out for input from local business.
Did Mayor Becker and commissioners Amodeo and Blumberg properly think this thing through?
Margate Commissioner John Amodeo says the city wanted more ‘change-over’ of parked cars. Margate recently lost 5 parking spaces with the new configuration along the Amherst waterfront.
Some fear Margate will soon place parking meters through-out other Margate neighborhoods.
We didn’t know anything about the parking meter plan.
Margate Resident
Mayor Becker still not taking comments and questions from those listening remotely. Becker was also critized for selectively answering questions.
Jim Leeds of Barbary Coast Marina wants the city to consider parking passes.
Max parking time is 24 hrs. If you park for that period of time, it’ll cost you $24.00. Margate will fine you if that time is exceeded.
- Margate is $1.00 per hr
- Ventnor is $1.50 per hr.
What’s next Ventnor Ave. and Atlantic Ave? Things are so expensive now and the Township decides to add more burden on residents and vacationers.
It’s time to get you lawn chairs out and save your parking space on the side streets. They will park everywhere but the meters.
You made the same silly comment on the other meters thread too. No one is going to care about a lawn chair, they will park wherever a spot is open.
Feel free to move if it’s that much of an issue for you. You’ll probably make a pretty penny.
It is obvious that our commissioners want Margate to change from a residential community to a transient community
Disagree Jay. Some families bring 3-4 cars down every weekend to the marina district homes. Then they park 3 cars at the bay and only move the one in their private driveway during the weekend. A small discomfort will make them think twice about wasting parking. They just have to carpool now.
Ralph, I was referring to latest Master Plan and how Commissioners are moving their agenda.
My comment had nothing to do with how people park and jockey their cars.
Residential community or transient commercial community?
Agree 100%. Some have two people with 3 cars and now golf carts. And don’t park in their driveway. Its rude and inconsiderate.
Jay, I really thank you for all you do with homeowners group, but I can’t say I agree with your comment. I don’t see this as homeowners versus transient, I see it as a function of trying to support businesses in that area. And I don’t think you’re referring the huge number of second homeowners as “transient”, are you?
Louis, No to your question.
The city brought in over $59,000 in fees this past year, paid by those renting their homes for one week or more.
The city has no control. No fees were recorded by Margate from over 200 Airbnb properties being rented for a night or two. That is transient.
One week rentals are transient. Not the 2nd home owners who live in their homes.
Thanks for the info Jay, very interesting but it would seem there are far more spots on Amherst in question being taken up by year-round renters/second home owners and their guests than truly short term rentals.
Agree Louis. Whoever mentioned the study at the meeting was telling the truth. Cars park on Thursday/Friday and they don’t move until Monday. That is a waste of prime parking space to store a car that has no real purpose during peak days.
Make it a little uncomfortable to park in prime locations. That way people will really contemplate if they need that 2nd/3rd/4th car on our tiny island or not.
Not to mention it makes businesses more accessible. Spending more money is good.
For extra credit use the parking fees to clean up Amherst on weekend mornings. That place is a toxic dump Sunday morning. Booze cups broken glass puke and occasionally condoms. Yuck
They got this right. Park you car on Friday, doesn’t move until Sunday night??????
Sorry pal! You shouldn’t be parking in the most desirable spots in Margate. Park on a side street.
Sure, make it even harder on those of us on the side streets.
You’re confused. There are no new cars added in this situation. It won’t be any “harder” to find a spot.
We’re talking about “where” business patrons park. Close to businesses? Or way off in the residential area?
Amherst is mainly a commercial district now. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have neighbors park by me than someone coming to get plastered at the bars. It just makes more sense to separate the parking zones by use.
Sorry, I have to completely disagree. If someone has the choice of either paying or walking half or a block to park, I believe they will walk every time. The side streets are all residential. Memories provides no parking as Maynard’s, Sophia, Tomatoes and Steve & Cookies at least has some but not enough for all of their customers.
Oh I don’t know about that. The $1/hour it costs to park is rounding error in the cost to stay eat drink or play around here. Heck people pay 50% more than that to take the bridge instead of the 5 minute Somers Point bridge detour.
I don’t think a lot of people are going to trade $1 for a 5 minute walk in the summer heat.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Who do the commissioners represent? Must be nice to not worry about 75% of your taxpayers. Those not being able to vote you out of office.
The second home owners already pay year round taxes and only use the public works for 6 months out of the year.
These guys are really out of touch with their constituents.
This meeting I am listening to are after the fact, the deal is already done, and the three commissioners sound so smug.
Where is this money going? 4 months at 16 hours a day for 40 spots is around 80K, (rough numbers) after IPark takes their cut, where is rest of the money going?
If any town ever needed term limits, Margate certainly is one of them.
They started give tickets today Amherst ave empty and side streets clogged I told you.
And when the spots run out on side streets, people will pay to park on Amherst. And when those parked illegally on side street like all of their parking too close to intersections (or in no parking zones? get tickets, they will pay on Amherst. So what’s your point?
That’s the whole point that Amherst is empty. Someone can park easily, have lunch, a walk, and enjoy the area without driving endlessly looking for parking.
People will eventually carpool down here when it gets uncomfortable.