Letters

Once again, Trustee Aidan Corish comes up with a new pay-for-parking scheme in Sag Harbor [“Visiting Sag Harbor? You May Have To Pay To Park,” 27east.com, April 10]. He has clearly shown his disdain over the years for people who visit “his” town.

His statement, “we also have a perennial parking problem,” is not accurate — we actually have a perennial love of visitors who come and spend money during a very brief time.

Mr. Corish detests the fact that Sag Harbor is a tourist location. Parking is only an issue in July and August, our peak visitation period, one that village businesses celebrate.

The leasing of the “Potter” lot is wise and prudent, and paying for parking to help recover the cost is quite understandable.

But this parking pay grab on other municipal lots is a slap in the face to visitors. Mr. Corish is clearly trying to bully the new mayor into thinking his way on this issue, as Mr. Corish has stated previously that he would like to see paid parking on Main Street as well.

This is his new plan to begin that process of punishing the town’s businesses. As if inflation isn’t enough, families who visit for a few hours get hammered for parking fees as well.

To sweeten the deal to residents, he’ll give them parking stickers making them exempt, along with first responders. He gleefully pointed out that few payees from the Long Wharf parking were from the 11963 area.

Let me remind Mr. Corish that the 11963 area encompasses a wide range including Noyac, North Haven, Southampton Town portions, East Hampton Town portions, along with Northwest Harbor. Do you intend on giving us all parking passes? I think not, but that’s why you included first responders, so that you could covet their good grace in this parking scheme.

Mr. Corish further stated that Long Wharf parking generated $108,000 last year. But he left out how much the village pays for the ParkMobile app, along with the extra costs of enforcement and infrastructure costs as it relates to the use of WiFi, along with the cost of law enforcement cameras. A little more transparency would go a long way, but that’s not what he’s selling.

It’s my hope that Mayor Tom Gardella will see that it’s been a longtime plan of Mr. Corish to hammer visitors to “his” village.

Mayor Jim Larocca didn’t let Mr. Corish bully him. I’m hoping the current mayor sees that this is not in the best interest of the 11963 residents, along with village businesses and summer visitors. Killing the goose that laid the golden egg is never a good thing.

I think it’s time for Trustee Corish to reexamine his priorities and not take down the new mayor with his foolishness.

Thomas Jones

Sag Harbor