'The P-Word': Easton to add 325 public parking spots in Downtown district

EASTON, Pa. — Easton is making major strides to address the dreaded ‘p-word’ in the city, with officials announcing 325 new public parking spots in the downtown district.

At an outdoor conference at Bank and Spruce Streets in front of the parking garage adjacent to City Hall, city and county officials confirmed new access to 250 spots at the county government center and 75 spots at the Social Security building.

Once approved by city and county councils, the parking spots will be made available to the public after 5 p.m. daily.

And officials said they're working to secure about 100 more spaces downtown.

With the growth of the city thanks to a booming restaurant industry, shows at the State Theatre, and the myriad festivals throughout the year, parking has become an even larger problem for Easton’s residents and visitors.

And while some public parking is available, private lots outnumber those operations, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said.

“Easton was laid out in 1752, which is great historically, but it wasn't meant for cars. It was meant for horses," Panto said cheekily.

"There's plenty of parking for horses. You want to ride your horse downtown, we can find a place where you can park. We can't park your cars, so we're working on that.”

'Trying to create some outlets'

Parking at the county lot allows easy access to many downtown staples, Panto said, as well as a quick and scenic walk to the State Theatre.

The mayor also thanked the burgeoning restaurant scene and other local businesses for helping draw traffic into the downtown area.

City Administrator Luis Campos said leasing spots from the county and Emerald Realty Group, which owns the Social Security building, is a cost-effective solution to the parking problem.

Construction of a structured lot or garage would run around $10 million — about $30,000 per space for 325 spaces, Campos said.

“Obviously, the hours of operation are going to be during peak hours," he said. "That's where we see the most problems here in the city, during these peak hours when there's multiple events going on, including the State Theatre events, etc.

"And it causes some parking issues for the residents. So we're trying to create some outlets so parkers can park and still go ahead and enjoy the venue."

The road to more parking

According to Campos, a beta test for the project was orchestrated with State Theatre.

Over the past month or so, State Theatre advertised parking at the county lots, and saw about 50 vehicles use the spots during several shows.

Campos also recognized Block Watch for its assistance during the trial run.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said that when he originally heard about the plan from Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone, he was a bit apprehensive.

“So when originally Councilman Pintabone and then the mayor approached us, I was like, ‘Yeah, you know, we don't do that, right?’ The county just doesn't do that,” McClure said.

“Then I spoke with our Director of Public Works, Michael Emili, who began working with Luis very cooperatively. And I think the gentleman worked together very well.

"And they came up with this excellent plan to relieve a little bit of the pressure of parking in the city of Easton during peak hours without interfering with county operations.”

'Multiple years in the works'

Pintabone commended both city and county officials for getting the project off the ground, even after McClure showed some apprehension. But after asking for some numbers, Pintabone said, the county was all in.

“They immediately put the pen to the paper, and another meeting occurred up at Lamont’s office. At that meeting, we made tremendous progress," Pintabone said.

"And here we are today, showing what happens when government works together and creates solutions that work for the people.

“I want to thank Lamont McClure and his administration, City Administrator Luis Campos and Mayor Panto for coming together and getting it done.”

State Theatre Chief Executive Officer Shelley Brown thanked the government officials for their dedication to addressing the "p-word."

“This is a real example of people from all different places working together quickly to address the issue," Brown said. "We are optimistic.”

Campos also said a presentation on increased parking signage to help drivers locate parking is on the agenda for next week’s City Council meeting.

“This has been multiple years in the works," Campos said. "Just like the city of Easton, it has taken many years to get to this point we have in the pipeline.

"Right now, we're talking to other private lot owners. We have about 100 more spaces in the downtown that we're looking to finalize.”