Residential permits, meters approved
After years of discussion, debate and planning, the Cold Spring Village Board on Nov. 8 adopted amendments to the Village Code to create residential parking permits in the central village and add meters on Main Street.
Weekend and holiday parking on Main Street will now cost $4 per hour, for up to three hours at a time. Residential parking permits — which will be indicated with stickers placed inside the driver’s side back window — will cost $50 annually.
An application will be posted at coldspringny.gov. Metered parking will begin after the residential program, which the village hopes to have in place by Jan. 1.
Here is a summary of the changes for what Cold Spring officials say is the first of three stages that will eventually regulate parking in the entire village.
PERMITS
Who can apply?
Residents of Church, Cross, Fair (from Northern to Main), Furnace, Garden, Haldane, High, Main (from Lunn Terrace to Route 9D), North, Rock and Stone streets and Kemble, Northern and Railroad avenues.
Residents of streets west of the Metro-North tracks (Main, New, West, Fish and Market) can also apply; the new law replaces an existing residential permit system there that the Village Board approved in 2005. Under that system, residents paid $3 annually for permits to park between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., seven days a week in spots that otherwise have a two-hour limit.
Proof of residency
Applicants must provide a driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of residency, such as a utility bill.
Number, cost and duration
Each legal residential unit is eligible for up to two permits at $50 each valid between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 and prorated from when the permit is issued. Permits apply to specific vehicles and are not transferable. Permits should be placed on the inside of the driver’s side rear window.
Where are permits valid?
Residential parking permits are valid on any street within the residential parking area, from the river to Route 9D.
Temporary permits
Temporary permits for visitors, service providers and contractors will be available through Village Hall.
Disability parking
Residents considered severely disabled under state vehicle and traffic law do not need a permit.
METERED PARKING
When, where, payment, cost
Metered parking will be in effect on Main Street from the river to Route 9D, year-round, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Payment will be by credit or debit card through the ParkMobile app, through a phone call or at kiosks in front of Village Hall and on Main near Church Street.
Municipal lot and Mayors Park
Metered parking continues at the municipal lot on Fair Street and will be reinstituted at Mayors Park after drainage repairs are completed.
VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
- Under state law, 20 percent of spaces in the residential parking area (about 74 spots) must remain available to drivers without a permit, which limits the number of permits that can be issued. Every street is within a block of these spaces.
- Vehicles parked in residential permit areas without a permit will be subject to ticketing and towing, as will vehicles parked on any street for more than 14 days without being moved.
- The daily maximum parking time on Main Street has been reduced from four to three hours.
- Free 15-minute parking is available on the northeast corner of Main Street at each intersection from Depot Square to Church Street.
- No-parking areas at crosswalks and some intersections will be expanded to improve safety and sightlines.
- The turning radius and exit space for fire company vehicles has been expanded at the firehouse.
- Locust Ridge and Railroad Avenue are now one-way.
- Parking will only be allowed on one side of Furnace Street, Haldane Street, Maple Terrace and Marion Avenue.
- Parking that meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards has been increased from seven to 11 spaces.
- Tour buses are limited to using Fair Street, Main Street / Route 301 and Route 9D, with a designated parking area on Chestnut Street.
- The speed limit on village streets has been reduced to 25 mph but remains 30 mph on Route 9D/Chestnut Street/Morris Avenue and Route 301/Main Street east of Route 9D.
- The village will consider “reclaiming underutilized village property” for parking, such as a lot at the riverfront near the boat club.
Cold Spring clearly will not have enough residential parking permits for all who are eligible. This begs the question: What is the process for applying for a permit and, more importantly, what is the process for deciding who gets one? Will the process be first-come, a lottery or some unstated selection process? And most importantly, will the process for allocating limited residential permits be transparent and fair?
The parking program is simple, and its elements have been publicly discussed and explained many times. There is no “process for deciding who gets one.” There is no “selection process.” There is no “process for allocating” the permits. Instead, every household in the Residential Parking Program area that submits a valid application may choose to receive up to two permits. When the applications for the permits are available, the village will communicate that it’s time to apply via email, social media and the village website. Villagers who wish to be kept informed can subscribe to receive updates at coldspringny.gov/subscribe.
Starbuck is a member of the Village Board.
Four dollars an hour to park? That’s more expensive than Greenwich, Connecticut! [via Instagram]
Now can we get the sidewalks fixed? And street lighting? [via Instagram]
This is a business killer for sure. It’s sad for the antique-store and boutique owners who built Main Street and put Cold Spring on the map. Why would anyone pay $4 an hour and risk a ticket so easily when they can shop online? I hope residents will be happy with a ghost town on Main Street.