The East Hampton Village Board provided more details last Thursday about a proposal to charge for additional hours of parking in the commercial district, and approved the hiring of ParkMobile, a company that will provide the app-based system to collect the payments.
In September, aiming to provide a boost for businesses during the pandemic, Mayor Jerry Larsen issued an executive order to allow three hours of free parking (up from two) in the Reutershan and Schenck lots between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. When charging begins, two hours of parking will be free and drivers will be able to pay for up to two more, said Capt. Anthony Long of the East Hampton Village Police Department. The hours of enforcement will be changed to between 8 a.m. and midnight.
In the village lot on North Main Street next to the Emergency Services Building, where two hours of free parking are now allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., the same changes will take effect. Mr. Larsen initially said that he expected the village to charge about $10 for the first additional hour, and $20 for the second. However, Arthur Graham, a trustee, suggested that village residents with beach permits should get the first additional hour for free, and the mayor agreed.
The proposed changes to on-street parking led to a lengthy discussion among board members. One hour’s free parking on Main Street, Newtown Lane, Pantigo Road, Lumber Lane, and Gingerbread Lane Extension is now allowed between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. The village is proposing that the first hour remain free, and that drivers be allowed to pay for up to three more hours between 8 a.m. and midnight, said Captain Long.
Mr. Graham pointed out that shopkeepers would likely not want parking spaces tied up for four-hour stretches, and his colleagues Rose Brown and Sandra Melendez agreed. Ms. Melendez recommended allowing a maximum of two hours in the heart of the commercial district, and four hours in those farther away.
Chris Minardi, the deputy mayor, said he was leery about allowing four-hour on-street parking because the spaces could be used by visitors as an alternative to paying for parking at the beach. Mr. Larsen said the relatively high cost of street parking “$10 for each of the first two additional hours and $20 for the third” would discourage people from doing that. Ultimately, however, the board decided to limit parking in front of stores to two hours maximum (the second one paid, probably $10), and allow four hours farther away from the village core. The regulations can be easily changed if need be, said Mr. Larsen.
In spaces for the handicapped, the existing three-hour time limit will remain, and drivers will be able to buy an additional hour.
In the long-term lots, one of which allows 24 hours of free parking, the other paid parking for up to 14 days for $5 per day, the ParkMobile app will replace the payment machines on site, said Mr. Long, but otherwise the regulations will remain the same.
On Railroad Avenue near the train station, the existing spots that allow seven days of free parking will change to paid parking only. No cost estimate was discussed.
The distribution of day passes for visitor parking at Main and Two Mile Hollow beaches will be administered via the ParkMobile app, Captain Long said. Between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., the village would allow paid parking by the hour for those without a beach permit. The cost would be about $5 per hour, said Mr. Larsen.
