Some premium parking spots at Mall in Columbia will now come with a fee

Some of the closest parking spots at the Mall in Columbia will now come with a price tag.

Roughly 120 parking spaces near the front of the mall, near the restaurants and movie theater, are now reserved for those willing to pay. The first hour is $2.45, and it's an additional $2 for each hour after that. 

After four hours, it's capped at $10.45.

"When I pulled into the mall, I just, I was really flabbergasted that they had the audacity to charge for parking closer to the door," shopper Jill Marx said.

Shoppers at the Columbia mall said they would rather walk further after the mall unveiled its new "paid preferred parking" option.

"We're willing to walk the extra block, but I just don't really think there's a need for it," Lewis, another shopper, said.

According to the signs, 10% of the proceeds from the paid spaces will go to the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center.

CBS News Baltimore reached out to the center for comment on how this money will be put to use, but they have not yet responded.

Few cars at mall's preferred parking

So far, not many people seem to be taking advantage of preferred parking.

"You can see by the amount of vacancies of these spots, we're all thinking the same thing," Lewis said.

"You should have a right to park your car wherever. Maybe a valet service or something where it's not taking up 3,4,5,6 I mean, this is half the parking lot here," Marx said.

Shoppers say the malls need the business right now, and they hate to see a pay-for-parking program like this possibly deter customers.

"I think we have to attract more customers into the malls to keep them vibrant and I think it might just be a way of excluding people, excluding shoppers," Lewis said. "We can shop elsewhere, we can shop online."

"What about on the busy days? This is one o'clock on a Tuesday. What about Saturday and Sunday? It's going to be impossible to find parking, and it's just going to cause chaos," Marx said.

Mall in Columbia says preferred parking is convenient

In a statement from the mall, "Preferred Parking is intended for those who want the convenience to not look for a spot. Whether they are making a quick shopping trip, want to run in and out, or are parking for a lunch or dinner reservation, the program is a simple option for convenience."

The mall says there are still more than 6,500 free parking spaces available.