Heading to Westport on a weekend night this summer? Get ready to pay for parking.
People who visit the area will now have to pay $5 for parking at select lots on Friday and Saturday nights this summer.
The Westport Regional Business League kicked off the initiative on Friday.
Where you'll pay:
- The Sunfresh parking lot has been divided in half, the west end will allow grocery customers to park for free up to an hour. The east end of the lot charges.
- The lot in front Green Room Burger.
- The parking garage next to Char Bar.
- The lot across the street from Char Bar
Westport business owners cite public safety as the primary reason for the new measure.
"We're very successful down here and we want to stay ahead of the crime and this is just a means by how we're going to stay ahead of the game," Bill Nigro, a Westport property owner told 41 Action News.
Each parking lot that charges will have an off-duty police officer and attendant.
"It's for paying for a secure parking spot and a lot of people want that comfort level and we want to be able to give it to them," Nigro said.
He adds talks for paid parking was in the works for months but the business league waited until they had a company to facilitate security to execute the plan.
Nigro began charging a fee at his lot across the street from Char Bar a few weeks ago.
"There was a shortfall at the beginning but it's one that we can live with and you know if it provides better security for our neighborhood we're going to do it," he said.
Businesses will re-evaluate the plan in 90 days, according to Nigro.
"It's all part of our future security plan to create a safer Westport," he said.
