Poll: Will You Shop In Downtown Mystic With Free Parking At The Mystic Arts Center Parking Lot?

David Irons June 14, 2012 at 02:02 pm

I won't be shopping downtown Mystic with or without free parking. The prices are so inflated, I don't know why anyone would want to shop there.

Matthew Tarbox June 14, 2012 at 03:34 pm

So, us Groton taxpayers are going to foot a bill of $50,000 so that the mostly out-of-town (and non-Groton-taxpaying) merchants can make more money this summer?
I guess that is what happens when you have a GOP-run Town Council.

Ross Mandell June 14, 2012 at 04:43 pm

its a sign not of party nor ideology but of desperation and a total lack of imagination and will and failure to admit a huge mistake and reverse it.

Rosanne Kotowski June 14, 2012 at 05:48 pm

Has nothing to do with the GOP except that the Republicans on the Town Council should have opposed this misuse of taxpayer hard earned dollars. The real question was answered last night at the RTM meeting as to where the $50,000 is coming from? It is coming from the Executive Management account . But where is there $50,000 in an account of about $300,000? It is money that was "encumbered" over the years. Money that was appropriated and never spent, and went "off budget". AND since it is already "encumbered" the RTM does not need to approve the expenditure, even though it is over the $10,000 amount that the RTM must approve per Charter. Apparently there are many accounts with "encumbered" money that is off budget. The Town Manager revealed last night that there is approximately $1,500,000 "encumbered" dollars on the town side alone. How can this be with the mil rate going up and taxes going up for some of our residents?

augie42 June 15, 2012 at 01:42 pm

Businesses have asked the town for help as they are losing money. The streetscape project was a bad plan that our planning dept accepted. Now we are losing money whether it be from lack of business or parking. Town manager reported that the Art Assoc lot brings in an average of $7900 per week. That money needs to be passed on to Pettini construction as they will not meet the 6-30 deadline. A week or 2 beyond this deadline and at least the paving will be done, so Pettini should pick up the $15,800 parking fees. Using $50k from an encumberance will set a BAD presidence.

Genevieve Triplett June 15, 2012 at 11:47 pm

Read it in black and white the Mystic streetscape won't be done by the deadline. The pavers are scheduled to begin June 27th. To appease an injunction or a class action lawsuit the town of Groton has proposed a new marketing idea of "free parking in the"new" downtown Mystic. For 6 to 8 weeks at the price tag of $50,000. However the town has approx. $1.5 million dollars in encumbered funds. I say..Give the merchants a small fighting chance. Local or not, expensive or not, the merchants didn't hire the contractor. Or pay them 3.6million dollars.

KAAS June 18, 2012 at 03:15 pm

Are you kidding ? Parking has nothing to do with it. It's the traffic and inconsiderate people who think the crosswalks were painted on the road for other people to use. Or maybe they think it's art ? Hey, is there some connection here.? Anyway,I won"t go there the Art Assoc. has had a year or more to be accosted by the public. Let us look at the creators of our most recent dilemas The few folks on the council that want to wave a magic wond with our tax dollars to fix a problem that they created. Very bad idea and very poor planning. I will continue to support our local business's and I will be creative in finding parking. Pettini is just doing a job they were hired to do. When other areas have this sort of work to do I have seen workers during the night when there is no traffic and shops are closed. The work will either be finished or it won't. One good thing I have noticed, we are not complaining about the big green wall on Main St.For the past month or so. We are truely blessed. Our community is beautiful ! No wonder folks want to keep coming back each year.