FARMINGTON – County employees and commissioners renewed a discussion Tuesday on who can park in Franklin County’s lot on Church Street.

The lot is used by county employees during the day, but is open to the public after the courthouse is closed. No tickets are handed out to those who illegally park there.

With a new restaurant moving into the Knowlton-McCleery building on Church Street soon, the need for parking space could grow.

Two weeks ago, the town requested the lot be open to the public all the time to relieve the downtown parking congestion. In exchange, the town would plow and sand it, install a sidewalk between the lot and the street, and possibly have a two-hour parking limit.

County employees Susan Black and Joyce Morton admit they are hesitant about the lot being opened up during the day. When they leave for lunch or errands, they want to be able to come back to work and not have to drive around the block trying to find space.

When the sidewalk conditions are unsafe because of winter weather, they shouldn’t have to walk from the county’s other parking lot on Anson Street, they said.

Commissioner Fred Hardy agreed, saying that although he wasn’t opposed to the public using the lot when there is space, he wants to protect the spots needed by the county’s employees.

Commissioner Gary McGrane recently met with local attorney Paul Mills, who has been actively involved in improving the downtown parking situation and the two looked over the lots.

McGrane said the signs in the Church Street lot are unclear and might lead people to believe they can’t park there at all.

The county does have a more definitive sign made, but it has not been posted yet. In addition to that new sign, perhaps another sign could go up explaining that the lot is open when the courthouse is closed, county clerk Julie Magoon said.

It was also suggested that a sign pointing the public to the county’s lot on Anson Street could go up and that lot could be used by those shopping downtown.

McGrane said he wants to work with the town, but stressed that no changes were being made yet. “We’re all in this together,” he said.

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