The administrative board of Nyack village approved the new all-day parking permits for businesses in the downtown area during a meeting Thursday night.

According to the board?s decision, 50 parking spots at the recently renovated municipal lot behind Riverspace Theater will be made available to local business owners who are willing to pay $50 a month for a parking pass.

"The shop owners of course need a place to park where they don't have to worry about going out and paying the meter every hour or two,? says Betty Berlinger, of Nyack. ?So I think it will make it easier for them to have more customers.?

Some residents say setting aside parking spots for business owners creates a win-win situation, because it will free up more space in front of the stores on a busy main streets for customers.

Diana Andriotis, co-owner of "Theodora's Gracious Living," says that up until now, some of her customers did not even bother visiting the shop during certain hours, because parking spaces were just too hard to come by.

Last month, the village board also approved a pass for residents to park in municipal lots overnight for $20 a year. The residential permits are expected to be available sometime next month.

For reactions to Nyack's approval of all-day parking passes for downtown area, go to your digital cable box and select iO Extra, Channel 612.