Residents and business owners in Egg Harbor hope to finally solve one of the great battles of the village: parking. The village’s Board of Trustees voted in December to direct staff to change an ordinance so that businesses cannot count on-street parking spaces towards their own counts. More recently, it hosted online forums to allow businesses, residents, and other stakeholders to weigh in on what could be done. Adding to the parking crunch has been the development of several popular businesses to the area’s downtown in recent years. That has pushed some motorists to park in private lots like at Main Street Market and Main Street Shops. Main Street Market owner Kaaren Northrop says they have tried everything to discourage people from parking in their private lot. In the short term, she hopes other area businesses point their customers to available on-street or public lot parking and develop other options for when the village hosts festivals and other events. In the long term, Northrop says upcoming street projects will also help with the village’s parking.  

She adds that Egg Harbor is lucky to be able to grow in its width, which makes it possible for the village to add smaller feeder roads in the future which could also add more on-street parking. Observing current ordinances, having businesses without private lots contribute to public lots, and having those options get more signage and lighting or some of the other ideas out there to improve its parking situation.