Downtown Daytona Beach merchants gearing up for the holidays have a more divisive issue on their hands: Parking meters.
Right now, shoppers along Beach Street can park for free. But an idea to install parking meters came up during a downtown redevelopment board meeting in November, according to city spokeswoman Susan Cerbone.
Not everyone is in favor of the meters.
"I would rather be someplace where it's free, especially if the merchant would like my business," said Karen Reardon of Palm Bay, while doing some holiday shopping in Daytona Beach. "Why would I come and spend more money?"
Magic Shop co-owner Harry Allen agrees. He said if parking meters appear, customers will disappear.
"There's a lot of choices out there now a days with mail order and other malls and strip centers," Allen said. "They don't have to pay to park. The trick is to make it easier for people to come shop with you, not more difficult."
On the other hand, there are merchants who think the meters are a good idea. Some customers take up parking spots stay in that spot longer than the two-hour parking limit, they say.
"They park here and they go across the street all day, and it takes up a spot for three or four hours right in front of my location that it could be my customer or it could be a customer on Beach Street," said Greg Sheridan, co-owner of Wine Me.
In addition to parking meters, Daytona Beach officials are also considering a parking garage and shuttles, Cerbone said. The redevelopment board should have a recommendation by February, she said.