Havre de Grace, Md. (Map, News) - A battle over precious parking in downtown Havre de Grace has pitted the city’s leaders against Harford County Executive David Craig

Havre de Grace police and public works officials tore down construction fences blocking off a busy parking lot, and Craig wasted no time Tuesday going to court to challenge the city’s action.

To make way for construction scheduled at the county’s Havre de Grace water-treatment plant, workers fenced off the parking lot off St. John Street, drawing complaints from downtown merchants concerned about losing business.

Mayor Wayne Dougherty issued a stop-work order at Monday night’s City Council meeting for “public safety abatement,” and Craig responded by filing an injunction Tuesday afternoon to try to block the stop-work order, said Havre de Grace City Manager Jim Newby.

“We were concerned about the public safety of our citizens,” Newby said. “If they can’t get their vehicles in and out of that parking lot, or if we can’t get emergency vehicles in there, then we feel like it’s a public safety issue.”

Attorneys from the city and county were ordered by Judge William Carr to try to work out a compromise, and they were still negotiating Wednesday afternoon, said county spokesman Robert Thomas.

Thomas said the city is paying for 40 percent of the plant upgrade under a contract.

“It doesn’t make sense to the county that they’d sign that contract, then issue a stop-work order,” he said.

Business owners claimed the fences had taken up too much of the lot, making it difficult to maneuver in, potentially causing them to lose customers and possibly even making it harder to hire more employees in the summer.

Dan Lee, owner of MacGregor’s Restaurant, said that business the Saturday after the fence went up was the worst in 19 years when comparing the same week in March.

“No one knew the lot would be closed — not one business owner, not one concerned citizen knew it, and we were just flabbergasted,” Lee said.

Keith Sappington, new owner of the Tidewater Grille, said delivery trucks trying to come to his restaurant had gotten stuck in the parking lot when it had effectively been made a dead end by the fencing.

“We understand that the water plant project has to happen. We just wanted some more consideration for the businesses,” Sappington said. “Our main tourist season is only a few weeks away.”

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com