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Mamaroneck Parking, A Political Battlefield

MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- The Mamaroneck Daily Voice accepts signed letters to the editor. Please send letters to mamaroneck@dailyvoice.com.

To the editor:

On July 13, the mayor announced appointments to his Ad-Hoc Parking Committee; a group initially formed on April 23, 2012, to review the potential need for a parking structure in the village.

The group was re-formed on July 13 to include, according to the Mayor, residents and business owners eager to serve the community. However, recently the Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees appointed 11 members to an Ad-Hoc Parking Committee to review items such as technology, hours, rates and more related to parking in the key business district.

The Board of Trustees' Ad-Hoc Parking Committee held its initial meeting on July 7. Why two Parking Committees? The Board of Trustees' committee is the official committee serving the entire Board of Trustees, including the mayor, and has access to all village resources including staff and office space. The mayor's committee is not.

The history of parking in the village began even before the mayor took office in 2009. In 2011, the VOM Budget Committee recommended the installation of multi-space meters along the avenue. Their recommendations summarized key financial advantages in doing so. However, this did not sit well with the mayor and subsequently, an unfinished report by the Mayor's Ad-Hoc Parking Committee issued in August 2012 failed to provide the final recommendation: A request for proposals' (RFP) draft to review parking options.

In November 2012, three new trustees were elected: Leon Potok, Ilissa Miller and Andres Bermudez-Hallstrom. The new trustees requested an RFP to identify a consultant to review the parking issues. The RFP, issued in March 2013, resulted in the 'Walker Study.’ This study outlined suggestions for the Village, including the installation of multi-space parking meters. In 2014, the multi-space meters were ordered with input from members of the community and committees.

By the time the meters were received in the Spring of 2015, the realization of the imminent change on the avenue caused political fear-mongering. So much that a group of citizens posted illegal signs along the avenue with misinformation inciting shop-keepers, residents and visitors alike. Today, the village has 17 multi-space meters in a warehouse. It remains to be seen what will happen with them.

Ilissa Miller

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