With the list of candidates set, and the final long weekend of the summer in the rearview mirror, byelection season is getting serious in Ward 5. So in the coming weeks, The Era will take a look at some of the most pressing issues, and ultimately where the candidates stand on them, in the ward.

This week, we explore parking in the downtown core, which has been an issue for decades. Recently, the town agreed to build more spaces at Fairy Lake and the municipal lot behind Cachet restaurant. However, the opening of Old Town Hall and several new businesses in the core, along with the continued success of Riverwalk Commons and Main Street as tourist destinations, will only continue to put pressure on downtown parking. So here’s how candidates say they’d attempt to solve the issue:

Newmarket’s downtown tennis courts may have to move to make room for more parking, according to candidate Darryl Wolk.

“It is time to move forward with a parking structure at Riverwalk Commons,” Wolk, the president of a consulting agency, said Tuesday. “This would require relocation of the current tennis facilities to another location in Ward 5. A few spaces added here and there will not make much of a difference. A parking garage as a permanent solution is needed now, not five years from now.”

Local realtor Wasim Jarrah and traffic safety advocate Bob Kwapis are also calling for the construction of a parking garage at Riverwalk, though Jarrah says bike racks and electric vehicle charging stations should be included in the plans, to allow for other transportation options into the downtown core.

“Parking in our historic downtown is a serious issue,” Jarrah said. “It's also an issue that's longstanding and needs to be solved expeditiously. We also need to ensure town facilities, such as the library, have adequate parking. Any new development in the historic downtown must show its own parking for residents, ideally below ground.”

Kwapis says the town is already moving in the right direction by creating the new spaces near the south end of Main.

“I'd rather have a parking problem that we need to resolve because of the activity in our downtown, then no problem at all due to a lack of activity,” he said. “I would support the town’s plans that are currently in the works, to add up to 50 spaces near the south end of Main. Those spaces can be added with minimal impact and will immediately resolve parking issues at our south end. In the medium term, we need to advance the town’s plans to add a parking structure behind Main near the tennis courts.”

Any future downtown development must provide enough parking for its residents and visitors, Kwapis said.

Ian Johnston, another longtime traffic safety advocate, says downtown parking is complicated. He says metered lots should be considered, downtown churches could lease their spaces on weekdays and the tennis courts can be moved to allow for more parking.