Downtown Mystic parking plan met with overwhelming disapproval
Stonington ― At the Mystic Fire Department on Thursday, more than 100 members of the public expressed strong opposition to the town’s preliminary plan to implement paid parking in downtown Mystic.
“Obviously, the concept was not supported, and we heard that, so we’ll see where we go from here,” First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough said after the meeting.
Local residents and business owners took issue with every piece of the plan that proposes implementing $3 per hour paid parking on most of the Stonington streets immediately adjacent to the Mystic River.
In July, Town Meeting voters passed an ordinance allowing paid parking in town, and the preliminary plan attempts to address some of the extensive parking and traffic issues facing the area by implementing $3 per hour parking with a three-hour limit in two designated zones.
In Zone 1, anyone parking along East Main Street from the Mystic River Bascule Bridge to Jackson Avenue, along parts of Cottrell, Washington, and Holmes streets, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., would be required to pay and observe the time limit.
The fee would apply to residents except for handicapped parking, which would be free with a state-issued handicapped placard or license plate.
In Zone 2, which includes Haley Street, Stanton Place, and a portion of Washington Street from Cottrell Street to Broadway Avenue, parking would always have a charge, except for handicapped parking and vehicles registered to Stonington residents.
A fact sheet provided at the meeting explained that Zone 2 was included to keep people seeking free parking from parking in the residential neighborhoods surrounding downtown.
Other residents argued that paid parking would not increase the number of parking spaces. They suggested solutions like adding signage directing people to paid lots, purchasing property for new lots, or parking garages, shuttle buses, water taxis and increased enforcement.
Police Chief Jay DelGrosso had previously said that signage would direct people to use a smart phone application or website, or call or text to pay for their parking, and the technology would allow enforcement personnel to quickly identify vehicles in violation, decreasing the amount of time required for enforcement.
Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Konicki pushed back, saying Westerly hires Community Service Officers to manage parking enforcement. She reported that program profits exceed expenses.
Business owners at the meeting also expressed concerns with the plan. Andrew Madsen, owner of Mystic Salad on Cottrell Street, noted the plan would essentially implement a 25% surcharge on the $12 salads he sells if customers had to pay to park.
He was not in favor of paid parking, but suggested that, if it was necessary, the town make the first hour free and charge $5 per hour for the next two hours.
Mystic Knotworks owner Matt Beaudoin said that the town needed to address employee parking before it jumped in to implementing paid parking. He noted that recruitment is an issue for business owners, and forcing employees to walk a longer distance, especially at night or in inclement weather, would be a deterrent.
“It feels like we’re rushing paid parking too fast,” he said.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Chesebrough took an informal poll of the meeting attendees. Approximately one-third wanted the town to stop working on the traffic and parking issue and half wanted to forget about paid parking and form an ad hoc committee to work on alternative solutions.
Chesebrough said the Board of Selectmen would discuss the issue at its Oct. 9 meeting and encouraged the public to attend and to continue to provide feedback.
“I can’t speak for the other board members, but I think I know where their heads are,” she said.
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