Economic & Community Development Committee Minutes

Gardiner Economic & Community Development Meeting

City Council Room

May 11, 2023

Present: Melissa Lindley, Tamara Whitmore, Terry Berry, Debby Willis, Carrie Arsenault, Doug Baston, Pat Hart

1. Carrie makes the motion to pass the minutes of the April 13, 2023 meeting.  Terry seconds the motion and the motion passes.  

2.  Parking Discussion

1. Updates needed to 2019 inventory
   1. Private Lots - What is the capacity?
   2. Need to inventory signage as well - can people follow the signs?
   3. List of lots
      1. Waterfront
      2. GMS
      3. Renys
      4. CNB beside Library
      5. Arcade Parking lot
      6. Hannaford
      7. Walker building/Bridge Street
      8. Jack Skehan lot
      9. Fresenius Kidney Care
      10. MIKA
      11. Winter Street Baptist Church
      12. Dollar Store
      13. By Robinson & Water - owned Mark Warren
      14. Jac Arbor
      15. Staples funeral Home
      16. City Lot
      17. Street Parking
      18. Tenant Parking - Robin Spencers Son
      19. Feed Store -
      20. Harveys/Tiger Town
      21. Paved parking area behind train station - Tuttle (used to be skate park)
      22. Corner by McDonalds
      23. Walgreens
      24. Baptist Church
      25. Life Community Church
      26. Christ Church
      27. Side Streets
      28. Water Street - 2 hour parking
2. What are the needs for the future?
   1. Johnson Hall is planning to have 100 shows a year by the third year (2026)
3. Signage - make a note at each lot?  Or a photo?
4. Enforcement & Time Limits
5. Private Lots
6. Other communities/ideas:
   1. Bath - has a parking brochure  to let folks know where they can park. Worth using as a template
   2. Promote meeting at a further out location and bring one car into Gardiner for a show. 
   3. Melissa has some information on the value of a downtown parking lot space and the impact of owners using those spaces on their businesses. 

3. Other topics or guests or future discussion

1. Climate resiliency grant opportunity - $50,000 for individual communities
   1. Waterfront - damage of piers of boardwalk and docks
   2. New Mills Dam
   3. Wastewater/stormwater
   4. Arcade parking lot

4. Next Steps

1. Melissa, Tamara and Carrie to walk around and update the 2019, including private lots
2. Share parking study with Ken Mitsui (Gardiner Main Street Board Member interested in parking) him to come to the next meeting - June 8th
3. First JH Summer Concert on June 23 - May be useful to walk around before and during the concert, looking at where people are parking. 
4. Tamara to send list of parking spots to Melissa and Carrie to split them up

Adjourn 6:51 pm