OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The police chief has recommended that the parking spaces on Old Orchard Street remain parallel parking.

As a way to increase revenue, the town council is proposing to change the parking on the northern side of Old Orchard Street from parallel parking to diagonal parking. It is also proposing to increase the amount of metered parking spaces on East Grand Avenue.

To accommodate the proposed changes, new kiosk pay stations would be put on Old Orchard Street that would allow parking patrons to pay with credit cards. Parking meters once used on Old Orchard Street would be moved to East Grand Avenue.

Metered parking in the downtown runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

At a public hearing Tuesday night, Police Chief Dana Kelley said each meter generates about $800 in revenue per season.

Kelley said that he was contacted by residents with safety concerns associated with the proposed diagonal parking, who said people backing onto Old Orchard Street could be dangerous. Kelley consulted with public works staff to measure how far a diagonal parking space would reach out into the street, and determined the proposal to create diagonal parking on one side of Old Orchard Street wasn’t worth the public safety concerns to add 15 spaces.

“My recommendation is that we don’t go to diagonal parking on Old Orchard Street,” said Kelley, but he still supported additional parking on East Grand to increase revenues.

Resident John Bird asked the council “to shy away” from creating diagonal parking on Old Orchard Street, as backing out onto the street could cause accidents or make the already congested downtown even more congested.

Resident and business owner George Kerr said there was a town beautification committee that surveyed the community and tourists, and worked with urban developer, town staff and state officials to create a plan for the downtown which was developed after support from voters.

“Let’s not mess with Main Street,” he said.

Kerr said he opposed the changes to increase parking on Old Orchard Street and East Grand Avenue, and thought the town should look at other ways to increase revenue.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.