Susquehanna Avenue in the Village of Thomaston has become the center of debate as residents host competing petitions on proposed changes to the parking restrictions on the street.
“I certainly don’t think we should make parking regulations any more restrictive than they are already,” one resident said at the village’s Board of Trustees meeting Monday, May 12. “It’s just not always practical. Life doesn’t work that way.”
The street currently enforces a no standing restriction at any time for the entire length of the north side and from Garden Street to South Middleneck Road on the south side. No parking is permitted on the street either.
But the street also has a no parking restriction from 8-11 a.m. Monday through Friday on the south side of the street from Garden Street to Middle Neck Road. There is also a village-wide restriction on street parking from 3-7 a.m.
Mayor Steven Weinberg said the street enforced the no standing restriction because of its proximity to a nearby firehouse and the need for emergency vehicles space to drive down the street. He said the change to one section to permit it was due to requests from community members in the area.
One group of residents has signed petitions to clarify this by removing the timed parking restriction, retaining the no standing at any time on the south side.
Another group is petitioning to establish a parking restriction from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. seven days a week on the south side.
Both groups, which have overlapping petitioners, cited concerns with overnight noise, safety and traffic concerns.
But other residents of Susquehanna Avenue are petitioning to keep the current regulations in place. More than a dozen residents who live on the street signed this petition.
“The current regulations are well thought out and serve multiple purposes towards the enjoyment of residing in the Village of Thomaston,” the petition states. “Any proposed changes will increase confusion and burden to the residents, friends, and service workers that reside on and visit Susquehanna Ave. [sic]”
The Richland Management Group also sent a letter to the village opposing the addition of overnight parking restrictions, calling them “burdensome and unnecessary.”
The group wrote that some of its residence The Brittany at 171 South Middle Neck Road utilize overnight caregivers and have guests who need to park on the street.
“Due to limited parking on our property and lack of parking on South Middle Neck Road, there is no reasonable alternative parking other than on Susquehanna,” they wrote. “Eliminating parking entirely would hurt our families considerably.”
The Richland Management Group said construction at its building may have contributed to greater temporary parking on Susquehanna Avenue, but the project has concluded and excessive parking should be decreasing.
They asked the village to study this for at least six months before acting.
“We are good neighbors and are committed to this community,” the group wrote. “We ask that some consideration be given to the importance of this periodic parking to the residents of the building.”
The board did not take any action Monday night regarding the petitions, but Weinberg said residents will be informed if the board does opt to take any action regarding changes to the current restrictions.
There was no proposal to change the regulations in front of the board at its meeting Monday night.
“I do believe that the board can balance the interest of the community and the public’s interest and the individual residents and come up with the correct solution,”one resident said “And I do believe that the parking ordinances that there are now, they do indeed reflect the public’s best interest.”
