BIDDEFORD — There isn’t enough parking in Biddeford’s downtown and mill district, city officials say. To address the need for more parking the City Council has approved the design of a parking garage in the mill district — though there are more hurdles to go over before greenlighting that project. In addition, the council is set to implement a parking management plan for the area, which could include more time-limited spaces as well as charging to park in city-owned parking lots.

Earlier this month, council members approved two orders necessary to implement the parking management plan, or PMP. One more order that will specify what changes will take place on which streets needs approval in order to move forward. A vote on that will likely take place in September. If approved, the PMP would occur in phases with increasing the number of time-limited spaces first, immediately followed by introducing fees for the use of municipal parking lots, and later, if approved, building a parking garage.

The impetus for the parking management plan, or PMP, is the development of a parking garage, which many city officials and others say is necessary for the full development of the mill district and downtown. They say some businesses considering moving to Biddeford decide against it because of lack or parking. In March, City Council approved the design of a parking structure, although there are several more steps before members will vote on whether or not to construct the structure.

But Economic Development Director Mathew Eddy said, “With a parking garage we need to have a parking plan,”

Currently, there is no formal parking plan for the downtown, Eddy. Instead all city-owned parking on the streets and in surface lots is free. Free to users, he said, but property taxpayers pay for their maintenance. And privately-owned parking is paid for by businesses or property owners. The city is moving toward a user pay model, Eddy said.

A parking garage and parking plan will benefit residents, he said. “Solving the parking challenge is expected to have a direct and tangible impact on growth in property tax valuation,” according to a draft of the PMP, which can be found on the city’s website at biddefordmaine.org. Full development of space in the mill district, adjacent to the downtown, will provide about $100 million in new value, or more, not including the redevelopment of the city-owned site at 3 Lincoln St., according to Eddy. “With limited impacts on services, this growth will be critical in order to continue to stabilize property taxes and meet future capital demands in the City,” states the draft PMP.

According to several studies, both the garage and parking plan are needed to address both existing and projected parking demand. Parking studies created by city staff show that demand already exceeds the supply.

An analysis of supply and demand of downtown and mill district parking conducted by city staff shows that there is a deficit of parking spaces in both areas, according to the draft PMP. Demand is based on the need of three spaces per 1,000 square feet of building area.

The existing parking supply in the combined Mill District, downtown area includes 419 municipal parking lots spaces 1,705 private lot spaces and 765 on-street spaces, for a total of 2,889 spaces.

But exiting demand exceeds those numbers. With a supply of 2,889 spots but an existing demand for 4,200 that’s a deficit of 1,311.With full build-out in both the downtown and Mill District the supply remains the same but the demand increases to 5,122, and the deficit also increases to 2,233. If the site of the former Maine Energy Recovery Company at 3 Lincoln St., now owned by the city, is developed demand increases to 6,061 and the deficit to 3,1272.

Supply is currently being met by customers coming and going and spaces being used differently at different times of day, such as the same spots used for business and employee parking during the day being used by residents at night.

Some of the existing demand could be met by converting unlimited time spaces to short term spaces, according to the draft PMP.

It’s unlikely that a parking management plan alone will be sufficient to solve Biddeford’s parking problems. Mayor Alan Casavant has made solving this problem one of his top priorities. He says unless the parking problem is solved, Biddeford’s growth and tax base will stagnate.

— Associate Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324, or dmendros@journaltribune.com