On Oct. 31, the Friends of Midcoast Maine and the Community Institute created their imagination of a pedestrian-friendly green space on the Camden Public Landing. On Oct. 27, PenBayPilot.com published an article about this effort, including the Community Institute rendering of the landing. As a small business owner in Camden for the past 10 years, I welcome volunteer efforts to enhance the beauty of Camden. Having said that, I will always be against any effort that reduces the available parking in town. Parking is the life blood of each and every Camden business.

The space created by Friends of Midcoast Maine and the Community Institute eliminated 12 parking spaces on Friday. (My shop’s back window overlooks the public landing.) The Community Institute's rendering for the Camden Public Landing appears to eliminate at least 20 parking spaces. If you estimate two people per car times 20 cars times at least five parking turnovers a day in the summer, with enforced two-hour parking, then we potentially lose 100 customers eating a meal and visiting our shops. That's 100 customers every day from July through at least September. In addition to tourism, Camden is a working harbor. There are at least a dozen schooners and lobster boats that work out the harbor. Is beautifying the Camden Public Landing going to eliminate parking for those who depend upon the harbor for a living?

Rather than eliminate parking in Camden, why not expand it. Two ideas I have heard from others address this issue. One idea is to create an attractive parking area on the old tannery site and provide a trolley service into town. The other idea was for the town to lease the Congregational Church's parking lot six days a week.

Please save all existing parking. Camden depends upon its businesses and we depend upon the parking.

Richard Ailes lives in Camden

[Editor’s note: The “space” created by Friends of Midcoast Maine and the Community Institute is a part of the Camden Downtown Master Plan, for the public landing, created by the town, the third phase of which was utilized by the Community Institute to inform and put into practice by students during its workshop.]