New Hope-Solebury High School Set To Charge For Parking During Busy Periods

A file photo of the parking lot at the high school.

The last large free parking lot in New Hope Borough will soon charge.

Working with New Hope Borough, the New Hope-Solebury School District will now charge for parking during high demand hours, including evenings and weekends, at the high school lot.

The news came as New Hope Borough Council unanimously approved this ambitious initiative at Tuesday’s council meeting.

The initiative will affect all areas of parking at the high school and will be enforced by the New Hope Police Department, according to John McShay, a New Hope-Solebury School District representative.

Parking tickets will be given to those who do not pay for parking at the school.

There won’t be any tolls or kiosks constructed for this project.

The school district will utilize a mobile pay app and will be completely phone-based, per McShay.

The school district plans on mimicking current parking rates administered by New Hope Borough.

At the time of this writing, borough parking rates are $1 per 30 minutes and $2 per hour, according to the borough website.

The mobile parking app system will be turned off during school hours and for school events, including football games and plays.

The parking payment will only be active during high traffic times, such as the Christmas season, summer and weekends.

In legal terms, this is what would be called a simultaneous primary use because the high school can go back and forth from paid and free parking, officials said.

Visitors to New Hope Borough have been parking here for free during non-school hours for years because of its proximity to central business district. School groups have charged fees at times to support the school’s program. The change will certainly take some getting used to for New Hope Borough tourists.

Funds raised through paid parking will go toward the high school’s athletics and clubs. Other ways funds can be used will be discussed by the school district’s financial committee.

The funds cannot be taxed since it’s a school–even if it is an income-producing lot, according to Borough Solicitor John Fenningham.

During the council meeting, Council President Ken Maisel said the district will need the proper signage in order to make this feasible.

Council Member Kelly Whitman agreed, stating that since there won’t be kiosks or toll booths, the high school will need signage explaining what hours the paid parking will be in effect and what the rates will be.

In other news, the borough reached a three-year parking agreement with the New Hope Playhouse. It was approved unanimously by council.

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