The Village of Sag Harbor has proposed a paid parking plan to generate money for infrastructure projects.
First, has a study been conducted to see if more parking is needed?
Second, the timing of this proposal is not wise. During the pandemic, when many persons are out of work and struggling to make ends meet, do you want to ask them to pay for parking in the village, where they patronize businesses that are also struggling?
Many of our local merchants had to curtain their services and the number of people who could enter their business because of the COVID-19 restrictions. Now, the village wants to place another restriction on them.
Requiring parking fees will encourage more online shopping. Patrons may decide to shop at stores in Noyac and at Bridgehampton Commons, where there are no parking fees. This parking plan would be another nail in the coffin of our local village merchants.
Third, has the village considered how this plan would affect the elderly who shop locally? This parking proposal requires you to have a smartphone and an app. Very few elderly persons have smartphones. The elderly will surely be at a disadvantage with this parking plan.
Most elderly persons park close to the stores they patronize. How would they pay for parking if they do not have this smartphone technology? The elderly would have to park farther away, where parking would remain free.
This technology benefits the village in many ways. When your parking time is up, enforcement officers will be notified of your car’s location, license plate number, etc., immediately. Presto, they will ticket your car instantly with the touch of a button.
How do you pay for parking if you leave your phone home? I guess you’ll have to walk from a free parking street. Forget about that quick trip to the village.
Finally, has the village considered looking for other private ways to raise funds for these infrastructure project? The Bay Street Theater is a prime example of private funding to erect a thriving cultural entity in the middle of the village. There are many wealthy persons here who are willing to invest in the future of Sag Harbor. There are many middle-class persons who also demonstrated their altruism by joining in the fundraising for the Bay Street Theater. Let’s do it again.
The proposed parking plan needs more vetting and public hearings after the pandemic is over. I hope the village considers these points in my letter.
Elena Loreto
President
Noyac Civic Council
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