After two decades of operating the popular downtown coffee shop Rude Awakening on Hay Street, Molly Arnold has put the business up for sale.

She said the city's plans to implement paid parking for on-street spaces in the downtown area, as well as the reduction in business from the paid parking plan implemented by the city during Woodpeckers baseball games, is taking a toll on small businesses like hers and was a factor in the decision.

She also has put her White Trash gift shop on Franklin Street on the market.

She owns the buildings.

“I have listed my properties,” she said. “I'm not actively out there beating the bushes. It has as much to do with my age and circumstances in life as anything. It is a timing thing. I didn't say, 'If paid parking goes in, I'm out.' But it just makes it harder for everybody that owns a business downtown and loves Fayetteville and loves downtown. People that think this is economically a gravy train are mistaken.”

Arnold has deep roots in the downtown area, saving the 1908 building where the coffee shop is located from demolition by restoring it.

“Let me preface this to say this has nothing to do with baseball or new development, both of which we love,” she said. “My concerns about parking are from a small business owner's perspective and what my customers have been telling me.”

She is not alone.

Several small businesses say that during Woodpeckers games the paid parking — even though the city reduced the amount from $10 to $5 — is hurting their bottom line. The city also is hiring a firm to implement a paid parking plan for the more than 600 spaces in the downtown area. Businesses like the coffee shop — where people drive up and stay a short amount of time — are concerned this will deter customers from going to their businesses. They want the city at the very least to set aside some short-term on-street parking spaces.

The Downtown Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving the downtown area and civic advocacy, has a petition on change.org that 525 people had signed as of Friday afternoon advocating free night and weekend parking downtown.

Mayor Mitch Colvin has called a special meeting of the City Council Wednesday to discuss the parking situation. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. in the Lafayette Conference Room at City Hall. It is not a public hearing. McLaurin Parking, which is collecting the $5 fee that the city is charging during Fayetteville Woodpeckers games and which handles the city's parking enforcement, will report on the state of parking downtown, Colvin said.

Colvin said he understands the business owners' concerns, but he also said he has no doubt that the baseball stadium and downtown redevelopment have been an overall positive for their sales.

"We have had over 350,000 people to the downtown area since April, including Dogwood Festival Activities," Colvin said. "To have that amount of people come to the area and do business has to be a positive in some sense. I think at the end of the day the council wants to be prudent and thoughtful before we make changes, and that's what the meeting is going to be about. We've heard from the businesses. But at this point we want to hear from the parking professionals. They will have a full view of everyone's perspective.”

Colvin said business owners are opposed to any new fee for parking.

“At the end of the day I'm confident we'll get it right, just like all the other cities in North Carolina that have paid parking downtown,” Colvin said.

A consultant the city hired has recommended that paid parking of $1 an hour be implemented from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week. The council has endorsed the plan, but Colvin said he does not support paid parking on weekends. The city is advertising for a company to implement the paid parking plan.

The Downtown Alliance's petition talks about its concerns with paid parking through 9 p.m. six days a week.

“We especially believe that implementing all paid parking during evenings and Saturdays will hinder people and their families from coming to our art venues and museums, restaurants and cafes, the Farmers Market and from attending parties and celebrations at our many venues,” the petition states. “We are not against paid event parking in some lots during baseball games. We love our baseball team and stadium and recognize the need for some paid lots that are actually being used. However, most lots east of Ray Avenue stand empty. We believe that the length of event parking should be limited to one hour before the baseball game and end a half hour after the baseball games.”

J&M Vapor, a store that sells vaping products, is not renewing its lease at 318 Hay St. It plans to move next month to 314 E. Russell St.

Its website explains the move: "With the baseball field taking up all of the free parking, and closing half of Hay Street 15 days out of the month, and the city charging for parking (during Woodpeckers games), we cannot continue to do business downtown,” the site states. “Who is going to pay $5 for parking to buy a $4 coil?”

Nasim Kuenzel, who along with her husband, Chris, own the Cameo Art House Theatre at 225 Hay St., said their business has suffered as well since the Fayetteville Woodpeckers games started. She said people were accustomed to pulling up to free spaces in front of the theater. And people who park in nearby city lots that used to be free are resentful of being charged $5 to park there.

“All I can say is that we have heard lots of complaints from our patrons,” she said. “There are two things: One is that they can't find parking (during games). The other is that they would have to pay to park. And those two combined creates a little bit of discussion when we see people buying tickets.”

They opened the theater in 2000.

“We have seen downtown from when there was no one there and the difference that it has made today with all the changes that have been happening," she said. "And our (ticket sales) numbers are not reflecting the growth. I think it's been very good for restaurants and places where people want to go before and after the game. You can't complain about the fact that the city is growing. That is wonderful, and I know that our business is being seen by a lot more people that live in Fayetteville or come to visit. But our (ticket sales) numbers do not show that. And the people that used to be really devoted moviegoers, they are not too happy.”

Adam Crawford, an owner of The Sweet Palette bakery at 101 Person St., said business there has suffered from the city's parking plan. He said during Woodpeckers games the free spots along the street are filled by people going to the games, and the nearby city lot that was free and used by customers before is now $5 during games.

He said paid parking could make the situation worse.

“I heard they want to do from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. That is absurd to do it that late at night when other cities usually cut it off at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m.," he said. "Our regular customers can't just stop by like they used to in a free spot and come and grab a cupcake. Nobody wants to spend $5 for parking and then come and then get a $3 cupcake. It doesn't make much sense.”

Staff writer John Henderson can be reached at jhenderson@fayoberver.com or 910-486-3596.