BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Quiet on a Tuesday morning, the Erie Basin Marina parking lot is packed during busy summer weekends of events at Canalside.
"There has been a problem with people parking in the Erie Basin Marina and then just walking out so they essentially were getting free parking," said Common Council President Darius Pridgen.
Smith Boys, a company which runs the Erie Basin Marina, is now charging a $5 fee to park. Some residents aren't happy about it.
"You don't want to have the folks come down and the first thing you do is now you got to pay for parking, and then you get out of the car and you got to start paying for other things, so I just don't think it's reasonable," said Chris Biller of Buffalo.
Visitors only have to pay the $5 parking fee on certain days when there's an event going on at Canalside. The marina manager says the new parking fee will be used to pay for additional security during those events.
Smith Boys has a contract from the city to run the Erie Basin Marina, and in it is an agreement saying the operators would be able to charge a parking fee, but Pridgen says Common Council members weren't aware this would apply to people who just want to enjoy the Marina, but still have have to pay to park.
"There is still concern that the residents, especially of the City of Buffalo who are paying the taxes for that facility, are allowed to utilize that facility if they are not going to Canalside," said Pridgen.
Pridgen says Common Council will be working with the Commissioner of Public Works and Smith Boys to come up with an adjustment within the next seven days before the Council meets next Tuesday.