After taking a short poll about Damariscotta's municipal parking lot, two things became clear.

The parking lot should be rebuilt with more amenities, and pay-for-parking isn't the way to do it.

During the Wednesday, Dec. 4 Damariscotta Board of Selectmen meeting, the results of an earlier informal poll were revealed and the board agreed to get on board with the Twin Villages Alliance as the parking lot project moves forward.

Town Manager Matt Lutkus said the poll conducted during the Nov. 21 public meeting found that most people in attendance were against pay-for-parking while most people supported fundraising and going after grants.

In addition to the funding options, people in attendance were also tasked with picking which options they preferred. Lutkus said most people preferred to add amenities and features to the parking lot.

Selectmen’s Chairman Josh Pinkham made a motion to work alongside Twin Villages Alliance while taking pay-for-parking off the table, which failed, 2-1.

Pinkham, however, was vocal in trying to get pay-for-parking off the table moving forward and that even the specter of pay-for-parking could be enough to deter people from contributing to the parking lot.

“I think (pay-for-parking) would be seen as a real negative,” he said. “I think it would detract from the community fundraising effort.”

But should the fundraising stall or grants fail to materialize it would be wise not to block a potential revenue source, especially in the beginning of the process, Selectman Vicki Pinkham said.

“I think we need to leave all options open,” she said. “If we say we're not going to do it, then we can't do it.”

Vicki Pinkham added that the Nov. 21 meetings were skewed towards business owners.

In the end, the motion passed unanimously to endorse and encourage a community fundraising committee to fund the waterfront parking project. The board also asked the Twin Villages Alliance to attend a January meeting to discuss and outline the approach for the parking lot.