The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

parking

Area Parking Challenges…and Ways to Alleviate them

by

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.

Extended Parking for Downtown Shopping Considered

by

By Eileen Gallagher

Hard to believe, but winter is (officially) almost over. This winter has been rough in many ways, not the least of which on our downtown. Merchants did not have a level of sustainable activity typical for this season. To that end, the town board is considering a proposal to have a three month period of “Shopping Local” during which parking time limits will be extended to allow for three hour parking.  If the experiment is successful, three hour parking would become the new regulation.

For those who ride their bicycles to the Chappaqua train station, the board is planning to purchase bicycle stands, or rings, to provide a place to lock the bikes. Currently bikes are chained to the metal fence at the station, which impedes handicap access to the elevator. Jill Shapiro, town administrator, will look into selecting a grassy area for the bikes, out of the way of the cars at the station.

Ethics, Anyone?

Next week’s town board meeting (Tuesday, March 11) will feature a public hearing on the proposed changes to the ethics code and board. The board discussed, among other things, an amended code of ethics for New Castle.  Also on the table are the expansion of the ethics board from three to five members, and the elimination of party requirements. The ethics board would no longer include a town employee, and all members would have to be elected by a supermajority of the board (four out of five vote minimum rather than three).

As an aside, Rob Greenstein mentioned that he will be sending an apology to a member of the ethics board that just resigned, alluding to a statement he made at the last board meeting that the ethics board “is a joke.” Greenstein clarified that, in his statement, he was referring to the way the board is set up, not the integrity or ability of the individual members.

Vision Test

The word “vision” was highlighted throughout a presentation given by engineers at WSP, a professional services firm out of Pleasantville. What is the vision of the town? How would they like the look and feel of the downtown to be? David Weiss and Robert Severance stressed their eagerness to collaborate with the board on all aspects of proposed improvements, including reinforcing roads, “bumping out” sidewalks, and restructuring the intersection of King Street and South Greeley Avenue (by Starbucks) to be safer and “less confusing” for drivers. According to Severance, the traffic would flow more efficiently with an all-way stop sign, and even better with a traffic signal. These options will be up for discussion.

One question for WSP was the cost of burying the downtown’s electric, phone, and cable lines as part of the work being considered, and possible ways to mitigate these costs. Weiss indicated that there are ways of cost sharing to make it more manageable, and would include such costs in their proposal.

Timing of work such as gas line replacement and pavement reinforcement is a big concern. After the major disruption during the Route 120 bridge work, the board would like to ensure that any work taking place will be the most cost efficient and convenient for merchants and shoppers. Work would likely take place during the summer, when school is out, traffic is not as dense, and there are fewer weather related stoppages.

For information on several topics currently trending in town, consider attending the newly announced “Conversation With the Supervisor” sponsored by the League of Women Voters of New Castle on Tuesday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to noon. As their website states, topics and issues to be discussed include: Master Plan update; Moving Town Hall to Chappaqua Crossing; Updates on development projects: Chappaqua Crossing, Conifer’s Hunts Place, The Spa and Mosque proposed plans; Property revaluation; and Westchester County government consolidation of services considerations.

Don’t Despair – New Innovative Parking Options at the Chappaqua Train Station

by

Train trips to the city are often preceded by a frantic search for a parking space.  Whether it’s the 6:46, 7:46 or 9:10, the concerns are the same. With a minimal amount of advance planning and study, travelers will achieve a reduced stress level.

For occasional trips to the city, there are several parking options.  For those with resident meter permits, there are many spaces available in the lot on the right when entering the station.  There are also some spots in the area closest to Dunkin’ Donuts which do not require a permit.  After taking note of the number posted at the spot, payment is required at the machines to the left of the taxi stand.  Payment is required from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m on weekdays.

Bonnie Gartner had secured a parking space and was waiting patiently for an off-peak train before heading to the city for a dentist appointment.  She mentioned that she “had heard there was another spot in the back where [she] could park.”  The option she was referring to is the new innovative plan championed by Town Clerk Jill Shapiro.  In addition to parking in the numbered stalls, train travelers are now also allowed to park in any available spot in Lot B – the large lot on the left accessed via Woodburn Avenue after 9 a.m.  Payment is accepted at the machines after entering the license plate number.

According to Shapiro, the new procedure replaces the former “do not ticket orders” which were issued for frantic train travelers who were rushing to catch a train for an appointment in the city and couldn’t find a spot.  This new choice also evolved from an analysis of trends in the issuance of permits. “People commute differently now,”  Shapiro observed.  “We noticed a slight downturn in the number of annual permits issued and a slight uptick in metered permits.  It’s more and more common that people only commute a few days a week,” she continued.