South Silver Spring parking shortage taking a toll

Businesses say shuttle, valet service helping some during construction

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

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Construction has taken away from parking, particularly along Blair Mill Road, that many patrons used when going to places like Mayorga Coffee Factory, Gallery Restaurant and Lounge and the Silver Spring Innovation Center.

‘‘It’s hurt our business,” said Martin Mayorga, owner of Mayorga Coffee Factory. Mayorga, one of the first new businesses to set up shop in the neighborhood, said he’s had to re-learn how to bring people to his store.

He and his wife, Kerry, have cut back on hours at the store, Mayorga said, because the couple felt the shop was taking on too much of a bar atmosphere in the evening and they wanted to make sure it stayed focused on coffee. However, that cut in hours did coincide with a drop in business because of construction. Business dropped ‘‘enough for me to be concerned,” he said.

A shuttle that runs from the Kennett Street Garage to stops in front of Mayorga, as well as the innovation center, Moorenko’ and Crisfield’s Seafood Restaurant on Georgia Avenue and Gallery Restaurant and Lounge on East West Highway has been helpful, said Brenda Smoak, owner of art store Alchemy on Georgia Avenue. However, that shuttle — being paid for by developer JBG Co. — only runs Monday through Friday. There’s still a need for access on weekends, particularly when she holds her outdoor artists market.

‘‘It’s kind of hard,” she said. ‘‘I think we’ve lost a lot of business. ... We all have to survive this.”

One solution, she said, would be to extend the hours of the VanGo, the free bus service that runs throughout downtown Silver Spring, to run nights and weekends.

JBG Co., who is building the Silver Spring Gateway Project at Blair Mill Road, is also paying for valet parking for nearby businesses that is free to patrons if they get their tickets validated.

‘‘JBG is doing everything they possibly can to help out with this,” Smoak said.

Valet parking has been helpful, Mayorga said, because although there are a few parking spaces still available near the shop, they’re not enough.

Short-term parking is an issue, said Barry Soorenko, a principal at PhotoGroup, a south Silver Spring photography agency. People don’t mind using valet parking when they’ll be spending a few hours at a destination; however, many people don’t want to use valet parking when they plan on running into a store for 15 minutes to buy coffee or ice cream.

Mayorga said he realizes things will be completely different a few months from now when dozens of construction workers are onsite — they could want to take a coffee break — and different once again once the condominium is built and open to residents. In fact, business could skyrocket.

‘‘We’re go-with-the-flow kind of people. Things change,” Mayorga said. ‘‘I’m looking forward to our new neighbors.”