New Hope Borough Council has voted 4-3 to terminate arrangements for the proposed parking garage project that started in 2020 and has cost $600,000 so far.
New Hope Borough Council, the public and state Sen. Steve Santarserio, D-10, came together in the town’s hall Aug. 15 for the conclusion of the parking garage project presentation.
But from a blistering public comment session that criticized both the garage plan and the senator came a motion, not originally on the agenda, to end the THA Consultants contract and reject a $1.75 million state grant.
The idea of a parking garage first came to New Hope in the fall of 2018 when a consulting group suggested one, telling borough officials that inadequate parking was the top threat to businesses and residents. The idea was reportedly supported by business and resident surveys at the time.
But throughout the almost three-year project, community support has dwindled due to frustration residents feel with the original ad hoc parking garage committee when the $600,000 was spent.
Dan Dougherty, councilman and member of a second ad hoc parking committee, led the presentation. It suggested that local businesses are no longer interested in renting spaces in the structure and listed the project’s risks and obstacles — financials, location, consensus from people in town, woodland clearing, environmental risks, natural disasters, contractors, labor materials, variances and more.
“You could throw money at them to make some of them go away, some things you can’t,” Dougherty said. “We think that if things are going to cost money then they need goals and a business plan. We shouldn't pursue grants until we have a business plan, ones that are approved by the council. To this day there is no business plan for the garage. We also have to do a much better job at informing and listening to the constituents.”
At this, members of the public responded with an eruption of applause.
The crowd also applauded the other members of the second ad hoc committee, Pro Tem President Ken Maisel and Councilwoman Louise Feder, after they spoke reflecting on the work and investigations they have done.
Councilman Dougherty then informed the public how the garage commission “took a stab” at writing a motion to close the project out.
President Connie Gering then pointed out that the meeting’s agenda said “discussion on the parking garage project” and not a vote. Gering then suggested keeping the discussion open and started public comment.
Public comments included resentment over money spent while there was no final business plan, and residents even urging president Gering to resign.
Santarserio then came to the podium for public comment to share his thoughts on the parking garage and conveyed that he had a presentation he wanted to make. Members of the audience immediately questioned his authority to show a presentation that was not on the agenda and the time he was using to speak.
Dougherty and Maisel called the action an “ambush,” and Feder told the senator, “Obviously if there are errors in our presentations I would like to know them before presenting them to others here, and this is a public comment so I do have reservations about having a surprise presentation.”
“I feel sorry for you, Senator, for being dragged into this. You don’t know twenty-five percent of what’s going on in this project, trust me. The duplicity, secrecy, you don't know what you’ve gotten yourself into with this group of people,” Dougherty said while pointing towards the other council members.
Gering and council vice president Laurie McHugh tried to settle the room as the crowd continue to yell phrases toward the senator during his presentation, shouting “No,” “Sit down,” “This is disrespectful,” “Shame on you,” “You’ve been used” and “Three minutes,” referring to the usual rule of residents being allowed three minutes each during public comment. Santarsiero spoke for 27 minutes.
“When I saw the presentation from the second ad hoc committee for the parking garage that cited a $28 million cost estimate for the parking garage, I was alarmed,” Santarsiero said. “As the state senator representing New Hope Borough and the sponsor of a $1.75 million state grant to help with the construction of the garage, I felt compelled to correct the record so that residents and all of the borough’s council could make a more informed decision on whether to support this worthy public improvement project.”
Santarsiero puts the project cost for a 250-stall garage at “closer to $7 million” and indicated a willingness to continue pursuing state funding to offset part of the cost.
Eventually, the council voted 4-3 in favor of terminating the garage construction consult and rejecting the $1.75 million state grant. Dougherty, Feder, Maisel and new councilwoman Michele Becci voted in favor, while Gering, McHugh and Peter Meyer voted against.
“At the end of the day, New Hope Borough Council will decide for itself whether or not to go forward with this public improvement project that done properly would bring in revenue for the Borough. But they should make that decision after the public has been able to review the facts. The vote on Tuesday night, as opposed to voting at a future council meeting after the public and council has had the opportunity to review the facts, is a disservice to the community,” said Santarsiero in a statement issued after the meeting.
Editor’s Note: This meeting took place on Aug. 15, six days before Councilwoman Laurie McHugh was killed in a car accident in Buckingham.
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