The Town of Huntington is considering using more multispace parking meters along busy side streets, rather than traditional meters, to help alleviate the lack of parking in the area.

Business owners like Jack Palladino, of Christopher's, says the plan will discourage people, often people who work downtown, from holding parking spots.

"It does open up spaces where people don't sit and feed meters all day long," he says.

Multispace meters are currently in use on New York Avenue and Main Street, considered a primary zone. The town wants to add multispace meters to Wall Street, from Main to Gerard streets.

Terry McMullen, of Once Upon a Baby gallery, says it's tough to run a business in downtown Huntington. In the last three years, she says she has watched 41 businesses close. While she boils the problem down to lack of parking, she says she is concerned about the proposal.

"I can't even imagine that. It's already hard for all these businesses to earn a living due to the parking situation," says McMullen.

Parking tickets, which start at $50 and go up as you get more, will all be $25 under the new proposal.

McMullen says she's still hoping for a parking garage, but Palladino says he is happy town officials are offering multispace meters to at least help fix the problem.

Huntington officials will vote on the parking proposal at the next town hall meeting scheduled for April 5.

If it passes, it's unclear when the multispace meters would be installed. The $25 fines would take effect this year.