North End Halifax businesses want a fix for customers’ parking woes

HALIFAX – Businesses in Halifax’s north end are reaching out to the public to help solve a parking problem that they say is getting worse.

David Fleming, the executive director of the North End Business Association, said his organization has been receiving complaints about the situation, so it created a survey to get feedback.

“We said, rather than deal with the antidote one at a time, let’s ask everyone how they’re feeling and bring out a comprehensive and almost scientific study to HRM about what’s happening in the neighbourhood,” he said.

Ron Clarke, the owner of C & R Auto Supply, a long-time business on Agricola Street, said it’s difficult to keep clients when they can’t park nearby.

“There’s no room to park, so they have to be parking two- to three-hundred feet down the road, and we have to help them out,” he said. “A lot of times there’s no parking, so it kills the business.”

Clarke said some people are even parking in his loading zone, which creates problems when a shipment comes in.

Parking is also tight near the Hydrostone district, but it can be a bit easier to find a spot, according to Dawn MacFadden, a flower shop operator.

“You might have to drive around the block a few times to find one, but if you’re persistent you will find something,” she said. “Some days I look out here and there’s like five spots and two seconds later, there aren’t any anymore.”

Frank Evans, the owner of Smith’s Bakery, which has been around for nearly a century, said the majority of his business comes from outside the city, and he needs parking spaces. He said he hopes the North End Business Association has a plan.

“We’ve made some recommendations for the city to try and use some of the unused lots that are here…and turn them into a combination parking type thing which would be a very pleasant experience for people,” he said.

Fleming said if things don’t change, there’s a chance businesses could start moving out of the district.

“If they don’t have dedicated parking or they don’t have the off-street parking that they had when they moved in here, they’re going to consider other places as a potential spot for their business,” he said.

The survey will be open until Nov. 1 and Fleming said he hopes to have results about a week later.