Bar owner concerned Charlottetown parking ban may deter business

Charlottetown bar owner Steve Barber is worried extending the city's overnight parking ban will discourage people from coming downtown.

A proposed change to the bylaw this year will mean the on-street parking ban will be in effect starting at 11 p.m., rather than 1 a.m.

"The sore spot would be 11 to 1," Barber said. "It's going to deter somebody from saying ... let's go downtown and have a couplenachoesand a pint, boys?"

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Barber owns three bars at the corner of Kent and Prince Streets Hunter's Alehouse, The Factory Cookhouse and Dance Hall, and the Charlottetown Beer Garden, as well as John Brown Richmond Street Grille.

He worries customers will choose establishments on the city outskirts that have parking lots.

"We don't want to scare people into not coming downtown," Barber said.

Open parkades?

Public works crews have come into Barber's bars in the past to warn customers to get their cars off the street before the plows arrive.

The councillor in charge of public works, Terry Bernard, said that will continue happening but that plows likely won't reach the downtown until 1 a.m. even with the change.

Barber thinks a good solution one that mightalso discourage people from drinking and driving would be to offerfree overnight parking at city parkades on nights the ban is in effect.

The city is exploring that option, an official said.

The bylaw amendment still has to pass third reading in January before coming into effect. CharlottetownMayor Clifford Lee has also expressed concern that the extended hours will alienate residents.

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