I live in Port Washington, and I write to urge the Town of North Hempstead to build a parking garage in Port Washington to alleviate the severe parking shortage faced by residents and tax payers of the Town.
Every hard-working Port Washington commuter every weekday experiences the anxious uncertainty while driving to the LIRR station whether she or he will find a parking spot; it is common knowledge that a commuter who arrives after 7:15 a.m. will not get a spot. The severe parking shortage has adversely affected me and many commuters.
The Port Washington News dated Nov. 19, 2014, shows that 3,210 Port residents received parking permits in 2013 and that there are only 997 spots in Port. Thus, there may be as many as 2,213 commuters who are routinely excluded from spots. This is unacceptable.
A substantial proportion of Port residents are commuters. Commuters contribute significantly to the quality of life in this community by paying substantial taxes, supporting community organizations and participating in the civic life of the Town. Therefore, the Town should in return support its commuters by building a multi-level parking garage. The garage in Hicksville has 1,440 spots, and a garage of that size would be a good start.
Some argue that a garage would diminish Port’s charm. This claim has no merit. The garage could easily be built with an attractive brick or stone facade to make it aesthetic. Many architects would welcome the opportunity to design an aesthetic and functional garage. A garage would not substantially increase traffic around the train station because the number of commuters would not change; instead of having a spouse or taxi drive the commuter, she or he would be able to take her or his car. All of the elements that make Port Washington charming, such as its waterfront, Main Street and its library would obviously remain and be unaffected. Clearly, the claim that a garage would diminish Port’s character is a gross exaggeration. Building a garage would be a rational and thoughtful way to support the Town’s taxpayers who commute and contribute so much to the Town.
Please build a garage in Port Washington.
—Joseph Varvaro
