Most mornings, customers are packed in like sardines, waiting their turn to choose from Bagel Nosh’s seemingly infinite menu of breakfast snacks. But the bustling scene could look much different if plans for a multilevel parking garage behind the landmark Clifton Avenue shop move forward, says Bagel Nosh owner Dov Kaufman.

At the flower shop next door, there is a similar concern.

“It’s a disaster. I’m having nightmares about it. It makes no sense,” said Deborah Smith, owner of Pipo Flowers. “The whole downtown will be finished.”

For the small business owners situated around Clifton Avenue and Fourth Street, a proposed partnership between a local businessman and the township to develop a $7.2 million parking garage downtown is troublesome.

The garage would replace a 55-space municipal lot, which nearby business owners say is the place many customers park. During the projected yearlong construction of the garage, customers would be forced to go elsewhere, business owners said.

After construction, the situation won’t be much better, the merchants warn.

“Who’s going to park on the third floor of a parking garage to go get breakfast?” wondered Phil Kaluszyner, owner of Klassi Kids, a Clifton Ave-nue clothing shop. Kaluszyner says he may have to relocate if the garage goes up.

Aaron Schreiber, owner of Schreiber Shoes, said if a garage is built it will service mainly the retail shops and offices to be included in the building.

“I think it’s a disaster. By the time it’s done, there are going to be less spots than when they started,” Schreiber said. “I’ll move out.”

“We want this scratched,” added Kaufman. “We’re hoping they’ll open their eyes.”

Ben Heinemann, owner of BP Graphics at 315 Fourth St., has a plan to build a five-story commercial complex across the street from his current location behind the Strand Theatre. It would house a 207-space parking garage. The structure would be positioned behind Bagel Nosh.

The partnership between Heinemann and the township would work this way: Heinemann swaps land with the township to build the commercial complex, which would have retail space on the first floor and office space on the fifth floor.

The township would take control of Heinemann’s existing building. The Lakewood Development Corp. would fund the construction of the municipal parking garage floors while Heinemann would pay for the retail and office space.

On Tuesday, the LDC intends to continue discussions on the proposal. Before a land exchange can happen, an appraisal of the two properties must be completed. The LDC will then draft a proposal, which must then be endorsed by LDC members and the Township Committee.

Russell Corby, executive director of the LDC, said the benefits of the plan overshadow the drawbacks.

“What’s the number-one problem downtown? It’s parking. We’ve looked at a number of alternatives, and this would not prevent other opportunities in the future. I understand they would have a short-term inconvenience. We can’t deny the short-term inconvenience,” Corby said.

But in the long-term, the additional parking will energize and enhance business activity downtown, Corby argued. If the project is approved, Heinemann has promised to open to the public the parking lot at his current location, which would have valet service. The merchants agree that there is a parking problem downtown. But they say a better place for a garage is on the opposite side of Clifton Avenue, near the municipal building.

There, municipal workers and court visitors could park for the day. That would free up street parking for downtown visitors, which is the key to creating a vibrant downtown, argues Harold Herskowitz, owner of the Toys for Thought.

Regarding the parking garage proposal: “This whole street will end up with a bunch of five-story buildings. I think it’s highly improper to fund such a project. It’s not beneficial to the town,” Herskowitz said.

“This project is a death sentence,” added Moshe Lankry, owner of Pizza Plus, another downtown business.

However, Corby said the Heinemann/township partnership appears to be the most viable venture for improving parking downtown at the moment. That doesn’t mean a garage at the municipal complex couldn’t be done in the future, he said.

“Quite frankly, I don’t think that’s forever off the table,” Corby said.

APP