Train-parking upgrades underway soon
By Michael Turton
Commuters who use the Metro-North parking lot at Garrison will soon be able to say goodbye to its infamous potholes. LAZ Parking, the company that operates Metro-North’s parking areas, was scheduled to begin maintenance and improvements to the lot on Wednesday (Aug.1), although by midday no work had commenced. Areas most subject to potholes will be regraded, and some of the most heavily used areas will be paved. Drainage improvements will also be carried out.
While the upgrades are no doubt welcome news, commuters and visitors to the city will have to deal with some minor inconveniences. Construction will last six weeks, and parts of the parking lot will be closed as the work is completed, beginning with the south end of the lot.
On its website, LAZ states, “Parking, especially daily meter parking, will become extremely limited during the repair period.” The company advises drivers to consider using the Cortlandt station, which has metered parking. The station at Cold Spring is also an option. Parking permit holders can use any LAZ-operated parking facility.
LAZ operates parking lots in more than 1,600 locales across the U.S.
Unauthorized parking riles Landing’s property owner
The parking situation may be improving at the Metro-North lot on the east side of the railroad tracks, however the Garrison’s Landing Association (GLA), owner of the private road west of the tracks, has recently had to take steps to prevent unauthorized parking on its property.
GLA has had a long-standing policy of limiting parking to residents of the Landing, along with business owners and their customers, guests, and patrons of the Depot Theatre and the Garrison Art Center. Margaret O’Sullivan, GLA’s secretary-treasurer, said that violations have continued to occur despite a number of signs that clearly indicate commuter parking is not permitted. “This is private property,” she said. “Tenants pay for parking as part of their rent.”
O’Sullivan said that some commuters have simply ignored the signs and even personal requests not to park on the property. As a result, notices from the GLA and the Putnam County Sheriff’s office were recently placed on unauthorized vehicles. In addition, the south end of the property has been cordoned off with bright orange fencing in a move to prohibit vehicular access.
Pedestrian access to the train platform remains intact — numerous commuters are dropped off at the Landing each morning to catch trains into the city. While the GLA has the right to have the offending vehicles towed away, O’Sullivan said the organization has not yet chosen to do so.
People shouldn’t be allowed to park down there unless going to the Depot or GAC or somesuch, but I see no reason why I can’t drop somebody off by the southbound ramp by Guinan’s. I dropped my daughter (with a big backpack) by the ramp after moving the “no parking” fence and a guy came out and threatened to call the police. I wasn’t parking, just dropping off. I called the sheriff and they said they had nothing to do with it. Ditto the town. So what happens when school starts and the many cars, students and commuters try to go over there for daily dropoffs?
Actually, entering property enclosed or fenced off so as to exclude the public is a 3d grade misdemeanor. That’s a low level offense but still an offense. Thus, the sheriff is not really correct to say he has nothing to do with it. Some things they just don’t want to get involved with. A complaint could probably be filed with the DA but clearly the Garrison Landing Association has tried to avoid drastic measures well short of that. When renovations to the old Guinan’s building begin, it will be a construction site and traffic past the depot building and houses may interfere with construction activity. Maybe GLA should just put up a sign that they will tow 3 or 4 cars a day and commuters who don’t see their car when they get off the train can figure out for themselves how to get home.
Statute: NY Penal Code S 140.10: “Criminal trespass in the third degree. A person is guilty of criminal trespass in the third degree when he knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building or upon real property (a) which is fenced or otherwise enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders … .”