Krill: Easton Needs a Better Parking Plan

Easton's needs to be expanded beyond just the city's downtown, mayor candidate Mike Krill said Wednesday.

Standing near the corner of March and McCartney streets on College Hill, Krill told reporters the study should include all city neighborhoods, and that two of Easton's biggest employers -- and Northampton County -- should help foot the bill.

"The burden shouldn't be put on the victims to solve the parking issue," Krill said. "The burden should be on the people causing the issue."

The city has hired a group called Desman Associates to study parking, starting with downtown and the part of the West Ward near

Krill says he applauds the adminstration for taking this step. "I also believe parking is a city-wide issue," he added.

He said the city needs to take other steps to improve parking, such as keeping people from converting single-family homes into multi-family units, and creating more free parking spots Downtown, such as a possible lease with the Quality Inn.

Krill said the city needs to avoid seeking "the most expensive way to solve our parking problem," referring to the new parking deck planned for the city's intermodal center on South Third Street.

Mayor Sal Panto said structural parking is a better solution because it takes up less real estate. Not doing anything with the Third Street property would create 250 spaces; the intermodal, he said, gives Easton 100 more.

And he said it was "ludicrous" for for buying a parking lot on Northampton Street and later suggestit lease space on Third.

Krill credited Lafayette for putting a new parking deck on Sullivan Road, but said the college still needs to do more to provide parking for students and staff members.

Panto dismissed this argument, saying that College Hill didn't have a parking problem. He said the school had addressed the issue by setting up a two-hour parking program.