Downtown Holley residents object to parking fee

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 April 2014 at 12:00 am

HOLLEY – The Village Board wants to encourage more downtown building owners to be like Bill and Joanne Billotti, who operate a business on the first floor and live upstairs.

But the Billottis say a new village policy, charging a parking fee to use a municipal lot, will discourage people from living in the downtown.

The fee is only $25 for the year. But Mr. Billotti told the Village Board on Tuesday it would be better to exempt building owners who live in the downtown from the fee.

The new policy went into effect on April 1. Village Trustee Brian Sorochty said the parking permit was intended to ensure spots for people who live in the downtown and to make it easy for police to see if the right people – those with permits – are using the municipal lots.

“The fee is minor at best,” he said. “It just covers our administrative cost.”

The Billottis suggested designating spots for downtown residents in owner-occupied buildings, but the board didn’t want to do that.

The village owns two municipal parking lots – one between the library and the old high school, and the other by the fire hall.

Holley used to require two parking spots for any downtown apartment, but did away with that because it seemed a challenge for building owners trying to offer downtown apartments.

Sorochty said the board may consider waiving the $25 fee for downtown residents.


In other action on Tuesday, a village resident objected to a new village policy that doesn’t allow parking by the curb near the Franklin and Ray Street intersection.

The board approved the no parking signs in February for the intersection and also at the West Union and Orchard Street intersection.

Franklin Street resident Tony Carbone said the decision was made without input from residents. He said he believes the move was made as retribution after he complained about snow plowing for his street, that too much snow ended up piled in his driveway.

“This is not fair or equitable,” he said about the no parking policy.

Mayor John Kenney said the board members would discuss the no parking area for Franklin Street.