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4- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 17, 2006 4 Days Only THURS., MAY 18 - SUN., MAY 21 Use your Sears Card and Report says Oakville's parking woes overrated By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER January 2008 OR 19 MONTHS don't pay 'til Furniture & Sleep Sets ** and choose... When we say no... we mean it. NO Up-front deferral fee, NO Up-front taxes, NO Up-front delivery charges, NO Payments until May 2007 or collect valuable Sears Club points* on all Don't pay until Jan. 2008, on approved credit, only with your Sears Card. Minimum $200 purchase. $99 deferral fee and all applicable taxes and charges are payable at time of purchase. Excludes items in our Liquidation/Outlet stores. Payment options and plan details may be changed or discontinued at any time without notice. Ask for details & other payment options. Offer in effect Thurs., May 18 until Sun., May 21, or where Sears is closed, Sat., May 20, 2006. Unless otherwise stated, optional financing programs do not qualify for Sears Club Points. **D/601 Furniture Shop; excludes patio and baby furniture in Sears Department stores Oakville doesn't have a parking problem. Or at least, that's the opinion of the consultants who undertook the latest study analyzing parking in the downtown core, and the Bronte and Kerr Street business areas. The study found that all three areas have an adequate supply of parking to meet demand. In fact, it suggests that only 67 per cent of spots in downtown are filled during peak hours. Kerr Street has only 39 per cent of its parking filled during peak hours, and downtown Bronte has only 45 per cent peak utilization. But the study doesn't reflect the opinions of downtown merchants, who consistently cite parking concerns as their number one retail issue, says Ward 3 councillor Keith Bird. "(The merchants) beg to disagree," says Bird. He notes that parking studies count all available spots, including "little bits and pieces" of parking that may be off the beaten path. "But merchants are concerned with convenient parking spots that a casual shopper can use," he said, noting that easy-to-access parking allows downtown businesses to compete with shopping malls and plazas. "If you don't see (parking spots), you don't think they're there." The study has also not won the support of the Bronte Business Improvement Area (BIA). Executive director Liz Behrens says merchants in the Bronte area also believe the study is flawed, and want to see the town retain the current parking situation in the area until the issue can be addressed as part of a planned Bronte Revitalization Study. One of the recommendations for the Bronte area calls for the introduction of paid on-street parking on a trial basis. Behrens said merchants oppose the idea of parking meters in their area, which they believe will simply raise funds to build a future parking garage in downtown Oakville. "They money will never see the light of day in Bronte," she said. "But we would lose the one edge we have, which is free parking." The report also suggests that properties should be identified for the creation of additional public parking spaces in the future. In downtown Oakville, the report suggests that a program be established to encourage more widespread use of the parking garage. It also recommends increased enforcement of the two-hour maximum parking limit in the vicinity of Water Street. Increased enforcement of maximum parking durations is also recommended for the Kerr Street Village area, to boost the availability of spaces for customers seeking to visit shops in the area. Plus, it's the final weekend to use your Sears Card on all major appliances No Money Down collect valuable or Sears Club points* No payments until May 2007, only with your Sears Card, on approved credit. Minimum $200 purchase. $70 deferral fee and all applicable taxes and charges will be payable in May 2007. Offer ends Sun., May 21, or where Sears is closed, Sat., May 20, 2006. Excludes items in our Liquidation/Outlet stores. Payment options and plan details may be changed or discontinued at any time without notice. Ask for details and other payment options. Unless otherwise stated, optional financing programs do not qualify for Sears Club Points. *Offer does not apply to taxes, delivery or maintenance agreement charges Sears Home Stores carry furniture, sleep sets and major appliances Sears Department Stores carry sleep sets and major appliances Furniture is also available in selected Sears Department Stores NE053F306 © 2006. Sears Canada Inc.