By Kenny Walter
Staff Writer
SEA BRIGHT- The borough has officially approved the paid parking program while the potential lawsuit against the plan has been dropped.
During the May 17 meeting, the council signed off on two ordinances and a resolution for paid parking, while Brett McQuillan, owner of the Navesink Marina, said any plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of the Sea Bright Business Alliance has been scrapped.
“The alliance accepts the paid parking in Sea Bright from 9 am to 9 pm,” McQuillan said. “The businesses of Sea Bright will be dropping the lawsuit.”
Parking has been a frequent discussion in recent months with the council split on plans to charge for parking, while many in the business community also expressed concern. During the May 12 workshop meeting, attorney Ron Gasiorowski indicated that he would be filing a lawsuit on behalf of the business alliance, which was eventually dropped.
Under the plan, the borough will charge for parking in four municipal lots–the Anchorage Lot, Peninsula House Lot, the Municipal Lot and the Borough Hall Lot.
The borough will charge $1 per hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, during storm events, borough officials do have the power to suspend pay parking.
Also Ocean Avenue residents will be issued a sticker for all vehicles registered to their address for parking. There will also be sports designated as one-hour maximums and other areas that will include an initial 30 minutes of free parking.