There will be no free parking in downtown Owen Sound this Christmas season.
City council voted at its meeting on Monday night to turn down a request from a local merchant who asked for the measure in order to attract business to downtown stores during the Christmas shopping season.
Patty Marr of Bikeface Cycling visited council two weeks ago and presented a petition with more than 150 signatures, representing merchants as well as customers.
Council at that time asked for a staff report looking at the issue.
The report came before council on Monday and said the city could expect to lose nearly 30 thousand dollars if parking was free downtown for the month leading up to Christmas Day.
The report also said the loss of revenue would also affect plans to reconstruct the municipal parking lot behind Scotiabank.
Councillor John Christie said, revenues aside, the request may have been better received if it had come to council in a more timely fashion.
He also suggested the request should perhaps have come through the Downtown Improvement Area.
The DIA was not consulted regarding the petition.
The free parking request was denied in a vote of 5 to 3 — with councillors Christie, Tom Pink, David Adair, Jim McManaman and Bill Twaddle voting against free parking.
Councillors Arlene Wright and Deb Haswell along with Mayor Lovell Stanners voted in favour.
Marr expressed disappointment with the decision, saying she feels council is not listening to merchants and customers.
She vowed to pursue the issue, saying she will go now to the DIA and will collect more signatures for a new petition if necessary.