Could $4.4 million parking garage along Delaware River power New Hope?
So you're heading to New Hope, securing a reservation for a table with a view of the Delaware River and hoping to get in some shopping at the unique stores along Main Street. Maybe you're catching a show at the Bucks County Playhouse, too. The reservation and tickets definitely help. "We lose reservations, we lose tables because it takes people 45 minutes and then they decide to go home and lose the table," said Graham Lundeen, the front of house and bar manager at Martines RiverHouse Restaurant located on Ferry Street. "And I know thats true across the board." The frustration is real as New Hope is facing a consequence of its appeal  and what some officials say is decades of poor planning. There's a nearly $4.5 million plan in the works that hopes to tap into the if you build it, they will come  and park  dream. New Hope Borough Council recently voted to retain THA Consulting to prepare an architectural and engineering design for the parking facility, which is proposed for an area just north of Union Square, the shopping and business center anchored by the Bucks County Children's Museum just off Main Street, on West Bridge Street. New Hope parking hampers business  Lundeen, of Martines RiverHouse, said the lack of parking is having a direct negative impact there. I cant speak for anyone else here but Im happy to hear that its happening 'cause parking is an absolute pain in town," he said of the preliminary planning for the garage. The restaurant sits not far from Main Street, New Hope's premier commercial and entertainment draw. While it's where visitors want to be, it is virtually impossible to find parking on Main Street, particularly when there's peak activity. Parking is bad during the early afternoon, and even worse thereafter. And while Main Street is filled with quaint shops, it is restaurants that are bearing the brunt of the traffic problem, according to the business community. Wendy Kelly, the manager at Nektar on West Mechanic Street, said the popular wine bar, and New Hope in general, has been plagued by the parking squeeze. She said there has also been mixed signals from borough officials. "The thing thats kind of frustrating for me is that I know a lot of other businesses have tried to get a parking lot in the area and they were told no and now all of a sudden, its OK," Kelly said. "It brings to question whose idea was this." :New Hope offers tourism app to find spots to eat, play and explore  For our subscribers:20 restaurants and counting for outdoor dining in New Hope  Visit Bucks County:Officials see early promise for spring season here and beyond  The plan to bring a parking garage to New Hope  Talk of a garage is not new. The $422,000 for-service contract with THA Consulting include two levers: timeliness and a provision protecting the borough. According to Borough Council, the contract ensures that "critical deadlines" are met, which will then trigger a $1.75 million state grant previously earmarked for the estimated $4.4 million project. The contract also provides provisions protecting New Hope, should the borough decide not to proceed. Borough officials and THA Consulting also plan to seek community input before finalizing any plan. THA will ultimately present a final design plan along with construction specifications, if and when the project proceeds..  THA Consulting's process, once completed, will serve as the foundation for a request-for-proposals to select a construction firm. Borough officials and the consulting firm are tight-lipped about any further specifics, but information contained in the RFP for the consulting contract sums up the project. Acknowledging that parking in New Hope is "extremely limited," the RFP notes the proposed parking garage will be located within an approximately 1.75-acre area of an existing 11.6-acre parcel which is owned by the borough and currently being used as an open-air parking lot. The state, in announcing the economic redevelopment grant money in December, described the plan calling for a five-level garage. According to the RFP, the borough is seeking to construct a garage with approximately 325 parking spaces, a potential hospitality floor on the roof, a loading and unloading zone on the ground floor, and various utilities in the structure to accommodate future uses, including a provision for electric-charging capacity of vehicles. The site gains access from Hardy Bush Way, and is adjacent to a tributary to the Delaware Canal, the Stockton Railroad and a private commercial parcel. "Since expected long-term lessees have expressed interest in leasing entire floors to which they can limit other parties parking, the design will have to provide for that demand," read a portion of the RFP. "Given current interest, long term tenants needs and provision of public parking open to any user may be satisfied with a four-story structure, excluding the possible rooftop facility." That structure, and the ability to lease space, is key to the funding of the project. Councils ad hoc garage committee has met with some of the new and expanding businesses to determine their potential needs for parking space and willingness to enter into long-term leases at the garage. "Their expressed need and willingness to take out long-term leases to pay for parking spaces will shape the garage and its financing," read a portion of a statement from Borough Council. Those consultations are ongoing and involve the number of parking spaces, usage plans, means of limiting access to reserved slots and other matters. Once the committee has a firm handle on needs and demand, the next step will be to engage consultants specializing in garage design and construction. The public parking spaces are expected to generate additional revenues for the borough with officials hoping to continue holding the line of property taxes. Officials have said residents will not foot the bill for the garage. "In order to better serve the community as a whole and small businesses throughout the borough, public parking will also be provided in the garage," the statement read. "Under no conditions, however, will Borough Council borrow any funds that cannot be paid for through long-term lease arrangements that cover the costs of repaying without burdening the taxpayers of the borough." As is stands, some are taking a wait-and-see approach to the impact of a new parking garage. Officials, however, seem hopeful. New Hope's redevelopment strategy, which in recent years has included luxury offerings like the Ghost Light Inn and River House at Odette's, relies heavily on bringing visitors from around Bucks and throughout the East Coast to its business and entertainment district. An easier place to park would make the borough and its businesses more accessible and help boost small business revenue, state Sen. Steve Santarsiero said when announcing the state grant in December. New Hope is also critical to Bucks County tourism as it's popular with day trippers and overnight guests. About 8.29 million people visited Bucks County in 2019, generating over $1 billion, according to Visit Bucks Countys internal estimates. Jeanine Winslow, a longtime New Hope resident who has worked at a number of establishments around Main Street, noted that while parking in New Hope is a problem, "it has always been" a problem here. "It's double-edged sword. People like it here so they come, which is a good thing, but for those people, especially those that don't live within walking distance, I can see how parking would be a problem," said Winslow, who lives on West Mechanic Street. "But I think an unsightly parking garage might effect the bucolic nature of this part of New Hope." Kelly, too, said she doesn't think "a giant parking lot" is going to be beneficial despite the parking needs. "Parking has always been an issue with the meters, tickets. But I think with all these businesses being allowed to develop in the area that parking is going to be an even bigger issue," Kelly said. "We have two stop lights and we have two crosswalks for the entire town." As for lifelong New Hope resident Phillip Jacobs, he will stick to walking 20 minutes to Main Street. He said he has given up trying to find parking. "I guess for me, I don't think parking is any worse than it was 20 years ago. Maybe the cars themselves are bigger, but no, I don't think parking has necessarily changed; it has always been hard to find parking," he said. "A new parking lot or a garage would help those who need parking." Currently, the borough offers four types of parking permits: Buttonwood, Chestnut & West Ferry Street Permits; Nonprofit Employee Parking Program; Permits for Municipal Parking Lots; and Resident's Parking Permits. Residential parking permits are $50. Municipal parking spots are considerably more expensive. The annual rental fee at borough-owned or leased parking facilities located at North Main Street and Parry Street, West Randolph Street at the Verizon lot, and South Main Street at the Visitors' Center is $950, or $250 per quarter. The annual rental fee for a parking space at the 125 New Street lot is $600, or $150 per quarter. Metered parking in New Hope costs 50 cents per 20 minutes, or $1.50 per hour, with paid parking in effect seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. There are 25 public parking kiosks throughout the borough, and 15 of the 25 kiosks are located on Main Street. If a driver does get a ticket, it can get expensive in a hurry. Borough parking regulations stipulate that failing to pay within the time specified on the ticket will result in the issuance of a late fee of $20, payable within 20 days of the original ticket date. Failure to pay the ticket will result in citation, summons, escalated fine, court costs, and processing fees.