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Every Wednesdays from Dec. 4-27, anyone who parks in any of the city’s metered spaced will enjoy free parking and, beginning today, three parking lots located along the waterfront will be left open until Jan. 2.

Members of the Asbury Park City Council had announced plans to discuss holiday parking options at last week’s council meeting in response to concerns waterfront business owners brought up at a recent parking committee meeting. Their options included free parking, free parking for three hours, or reduced rates in the downtown and waterfront.

After weighing their options, which included the possibility of losing a projected $100,000 in parking revenues if they were to offer completely free parking through the holidays, Council Members decided during their meeting Tuesday to offer the same Wednesday parking fee reprieve that was previously provided during the 2011 holiday season.

The city could not afford to lose that much in possible revenues over one month of free parking, said Councilwoman Amy Quinn, who is a member of the parking committee.

City pay stations may be programmed to deliver the message on their welcome screen.

“What were are hoping to do is to have a message that says ‘free parking from the city of Asbury Park,'” said Quinn.

Last year, free three-hour parking started just after Hurricane Sandy hit and extended into late January as several of the city’s pay station were damaged in the storm.

In addition to the Wednesday abeyances, the city also gave their approval to allow waterfront redevelopers Asbury Partners to open up the three surface lots they maintain, according to Councilman John Loffredo.  Loffredo is the chairman of the parking committee.

“Based on the City Council’s action last night, we have made the decision that beginning today through Jan. 2, parking on the three privately owned parking lots within the Asbury Park Waterfront will be free,” Asbury Partners spokesperson Brian Cheripka confirmed today in an email to the Sun.

The three privately owned lots, managed by Laz Parking, are located in front of the carousel building at the intersection of Asbury and Cookman avenues, and between Second and Third avenues, and Fourth and Fifth avenues, along Ocean Avenue.

“We hope this allows residents and visitors to make plans to come and enjoy all that the Asbury Park Waterfront has to offer during the holiday season,” Cheripka said.

Two city residents spoke out on the issue of metered spaces during the participation portion of the regular session meeting.

“This is a resort community,” said local business owner and developer Patrick Fasano. “If you charge 50 cents more in the [summer] season, you’ll make more money and not lose $100,000 in the off-season.”

A resident of the post building downtown suggested the four days be changed from every Wednesday to the days the holidays actually fall on, since that is when guests are most likely to visit.

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