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Area Parking Challenges…and Ways to Alleviate them

June 1, 2018 by Marlene Kern Fischer

If you have had difficulty finding a parking spot in Armonk or Chappaqua, you are not alone. As both towns have grown, so too have parking problems. Add in the popularity of larger vehicles and SUVs, and parking space is at a premium.

With new businesses coming into the towns and ongoing construction (such as on lower King Street in Chappaqua), finding a spot can be tricky. This is especially true by the train station and in merchant spacing in Chappaqua and on Main Street and at the DeCicco’s lot in Armonk.

The parking limitations make it necessary for the towns to be vigilant about enforcing parking regulations. Community Service Worker Manny Antoniou, who is in charge of parking and traffic in Chappaqua, says the primary reason he issues tickets is for being in a spot too long. He is often stopped by people searching for a spot and suggests that they try the back of the commuter lot where you can pay by plate. He knows that adding more spaces would be the obvious solution but recognized that improving the parking situation needed to be done by “research and survey,” a process which could take a while.

Popular Parking Violations

Other parking violations for which he tickets include parking in two spaces, parking too far from the curb, or in a handicapped spot or fire zone. When asked about whether people who park in two spaces do purposely or not, Antoniou responded that, “Sometimes the offender is simply in a rush but sometimes they do it intentionally to protect a new car from dings.” Antoniou said he can “usually tell” the intentions a parking spot hog has and uses his discretion to ticket. He also urged people to stay off their phones and to “not ignore officers when they are directing traffic.”

In Armonk, the parking situation is not much better. During the midday hours, you may find yourself circling the DeCicco’s lot or scanning Main Street as you drive by in hopes of finding a vacant spot. One store owner in town, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The biggest problem we have in Armonk is employees parking on Main Street. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed.” If you are willing to walk a bit to your destination (especially now that the weather has finally improved), there are often spots available in the CVS lot or the library parking lot.

New Spots Planned for Armonk

There is some good news on the horizon though; the town is in the process of adding approximately 80 spots behind and next to the Hergenhan Recreation Center, which should help alleviate the parking situation.

Sergeant Huffnagle of the Town of North Castle Police Department said that although parking is definitely a concern, he has found that most people in town are respectful of the handicapped spots. He also noted that with all the restaurants in town, Armonk has become a “culinary hub” and that means more cars parked for longer periods of time.

The North Castle officer in charge of parking marks tires on Main Street, which has a one-hour time limit during the hours between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. The parking officer is also the animal control officer, so if he has to leave Main Street to deal with a situation with a coyote, raccoon, deer or other animal, you may get lucky and avoid a ticket if you are in a spot for more than an hour. (It is not recommended that you count on him being away, however.)

Parking Lot Etiquette 101

There are things you can do to help the parking situation. As a resident of Armonk for 20 years and a self-proclaimed parking lot maven, below are some helpful tips:

Pull out of your spot in a timely fashion. We all have the urge to check our phones and I know I am not alone in having replied to a text or two while sitting in my car. However, when I have to respond to a text (like when my son asks me to pick him up at school), I try to keep it brief. Composing a 2,000-word e-mail, flat ironing your hair, putting on make-up, or reading a book while someone is waiting for your spot is not cool and will not earn you the Citizen of the Year award.

Leave enough space between your car and the car next to you. Not being as thin as I used to be, when someone parks too close to my car I have had to slither in to the driver’s seat, as well as enter my car through the passenger side, which requires a level of flexibility I do not really possess.

Give cars spaces to parallel park. You can make fun of how badly someone parallel parks, but only after you give them enough room to get into a spot.

In Addition…

To avoid accidents Sergeant Huffnagle wants to remind citizens to “use their signals” when they are planning to park so other drivers are aware of their intentions.

Allow pedestrians to cross the street. We are small friendly towns; Armonk is Frosty the Snowman’s birthplace, for goodness sake. You won’t melt in the ten seconds it takes for someone to cross from the Post Office to Hickory & Tweed.

Huffnagle stated that he thinks people typically do not intend to be discourteous and that most problems arise because, “People are in their own little world and can be oblivious to other peoples’ concerns and time constraints.” I agree and believe that we can each do our part to make the parking and traffic situations in our towns much better.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Armonk, cars, Chappaqua, common courtesies, driving in parking lots, good neighbors, issues, parking, parking challenges, parking violations, parkinig etiquette, problems

New Community Leader Voices: Hala Makowska and Jeremy Saland

March 6, 2016 by The Inside Press

Editor’s Note: It was a hotly contested election this past November with Jeremy Saland and Hala Makowska winning two Town Board seats. Last election, we featured “Team New Castle,” so I decided to meet with Hala and Jeremy too in December at Chappaqua Station to simply glean their thoughts–at least the way they stood at holiday time–and for some “quick takes” on  various hot button topics in town! It was a pleasure getting to know each of them a little better!

Hala Makowska

FullSizeRenderSince the election, I enjoyed some down time with my family and am ready, excited and looking forward to my role and responsibilities for the town of New Castle. We have everything we need to be a very well-functioning board, and I feel that our diverse perspectives will help us have healthy discussions and ultimately lead to excellent decision making. At this particular point in time, I am focusing on the Master Plan and the downtown revitalization strategies–and making sure that the process ends up being as productive as it can be for the town.

I see Chappaqua Crossing on the top of our priorities, and I would like it to be successful so that our tax base can increase. Also, I think the Roundabout to address the traffic problem on 117 is another good focal point. I think that valid concerns remain about the intersection between the high school and the Whole Foods entrance and the exit from the Saw Mill Parkway coming into the retail zone. The safety concern is for the amount of traffic from retail shoppers, from the high school, and from the parkway.

Regarding Chappaqua Affordable Housing and the Hunts Lane location: As we know, I am not in favor.  It is an unsuitable piece of property. That is where a town parking lot could conceivably go, and I am disappointed that no new site has been identified or rezoned, frankly. I think that should have been the first priority. Now this will be more difficult. I have started to take a look at both the original permit and the present specifications. I am hoping that we can help find alternative locations. This is a timely issue since the provision expires next year.

The ChapLine is another hot topic. (The ChapLine is a functional recreation path which could connect downtown Chappaqua to Horace Greeley High School and to Chappaqua Crossing.) I think we need to closely weigh how the $1.5 million contribution from Summit Greenfield would be spent before it is committed to the ChapLine. And, I think that a more inclusive process to discuss how the available money could best be invested to make Chappaqua an even better place to shop, eat, and socialize, etc. I believe it’s local government that has the greatest impact on the quality of our everyday lives and the value of our property. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Town Board to protect and improve both for all New Castle residents and business owners.

Hala Makowska can be reached at hmakowska@mynewcastle.org

Jeremy Saland

IMG_5675I am very excited to get to work on behalf of New Castle to move the town forward. I am grateful our community had the confidence in me to do so. There are a lot of things going on now and I expect there will be many more things happening during my term and in the years to come. I believe we all benefit when each one of us tries to do our part.

Conifer and affordable housing is one issue that demands immediate attention. It is simply a horrendous location. Living between the Saw Mill Parkway, an exit ramp and the train tracks is not the most welcoming place even though we, as a community, are open and inclusive. It is incumbent upon the Town Board to find a solution, and make sure any development of this type is a safe, inviting and a healthy place to reside.

Whether you support Chappaqua Crossing or not, it is here to stay. Of grave concern is that Chappaqua Crossing created a new hamlet and business district. This development will have a significant traffic impact and change our quiet community as we know it. We need to concentrate on downtown Chappaqua’s development and revitalization to offset this third hamlet. The same is true for Millwood. It is critical that we examine how we can better develop and utilize our existing hamlets while building their infrastructure and making them more attractive destinations.

Another important issue is the proposed ChapLine. On an island it is a good idea, but residents, not just Summit Greenfield and the Town Board, should be involved in this discussion. It’s not often a municipality can potentially access $1.5 million dollars. This opportunity should not be squandered. If the developer wants the best for a community that they are vastly changing and profiting from, then this process should be an open one. Whether it is giving matching funds to businesses, purchasing property, or some other idea, a common good can be reached if all of us are engaged.

Whatever issue New Castle faces, I am confident that with an ethical government, we can work alongside our neighbors and businesses to reach our true potential. Jeremy Saland can be reached at jsaland@mynewcastle.org

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: election, issues, meet

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