As the New Year rolls in so will the possibility of parking meters in the West Seattle Junction.

Beginning in 2009 the Seattle Department of Transportation's Parking Program will begin a study in hopes of improving parking management in the local business district. Speaking with West Seattle Junction Stakeholders, the department will consider how new time-limit signs, load zones, residential parking zones and paid parking could impact the area.

Local businesses offer differing opinions on transitioning California Avenue's existing two-hour parking to pay parking.

According to Susan Melrose, director of the West Seattle Junction Association, the group has been frank with the city about its opposition to any metered parking in the business district.

"It is so easy for customers to swing into the Junction, and to break that continuity would be bad for business," said Melrose.

Years ago merchants in the Junction worked with the city to remove parking from the business district. Today, the Junction has approximately 300 free parking spaces in lots and in the street.

Still, for some business where customers tend to stop in briefly, like the Husky Deli, metered parking could benefit business. Jack Miller, owner of Husky Deli, said while his customers tend to park for a short period of time, nearby restaurants and fitness centers attract customers who park for several hours.

While he is not convinced that pay parking would solve this problem, Miller says anything that frees up more parking spaces would be good for businesses like his and nearby Bakery Nouveau.

"When the Petco lot went away (the free parking lots) became parking for Elliot Bay and Talaricos."

Although the study's project manager Dant