(WXYZ) — Paid parking has been in place on Main Street in downtown Romeo for a full week now — and it's generating mixed reactions.
"I first started speaking out against it, because I love Romeo and I'm a small business advocate, and therefore when I heard it, I realized this is gonna be bad for small businesses of Romeo," said Scott McLeod.
Park mobile signage is all up and down Romeo's Main Street.
McLeod, who lives in Bruce Township, says he frequents the area often — and has been vocal against the Downtown Development Authority's decision to implement paid parking.
It's $1 an hour to park — between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
"The people that are not going to pay for parking are gonna continue onto the next community to nearby businesses and frequent those," he said.
He's concerned they'll avoid businesses like Spice 21, an Indian cuisine restaurant.
I spoke with the owner, Muhammad Islam.
"This is a small town, small community. I think that really impacts our business," said Islam.
Online — you'll find dozens of comments opposing paid parking.
For the DDA's reasoning for implementing paid parking and response to community concerns, I stopped over to their office, speaking with the executive director, Kay Pochert.
"We all try to lean into understanding — understanding where it's coming from as far as someone not being on board. Ya know, is it change? Is it a worry that somehow it's going to change our local town? Is it gonna deter visitors?" said Kay Pochert.
All questions Pochert says the DDA board took into consideration. Ultimately, she says the board made the change for two key reasons.
"The main issue that we were seeing and hearing the complaints from the businesses were that employees were taking up the parking on Main Street, parking all day. You would often hear people say 'oh, I'd love to come to Romeo, but I can never find a place to park.' So this was kind of a solve to keep traffic moving," she said.
Second, she says it's a needed revenue source.
"There is a financial benefit as well ... and one that we saw a need as far as future parking infrastructure ... redoing the parking lots, improvements, that sort of thing," she said.
"As far as our businesses go, we've had nothing but positive responses. We were talking to a business this morning and she was like 'you know, I used to have landscape trucks parking all day in front of my business and now it's open for people to come and park,'" said Pochert.
Pochert notes the first 15 minutes of parking through the app are free — and will be paid for by the DDA.
But McLeod contends that money ultimately comes from the taxpayers.
"I'd like to see it turned around and taken down," he said.
