The Parking Commission on Tuesday night voted unanimously to uphold a $30 ticket issued to a woman who parked in a loading zone.
This is a loading zone from 7 to 11 a.m. Credit: Michael Dinan
Sarah Zepeda told members of the Commission at a special meeting that as she approached the corner of Main Street and East Avenue at 10:50 a.m. one morning, she noticed a two-hour parking sign, so she decided to take advantage of the vacant spot.
As she showed the Commission pictures of where she was parked using her cell phone, Zepeda explained that while she was aware that she was parked near a loading zone, she didn’t realize that her car had actually crossed the loading zone line.
“I felt I was above the loading zone line and not blocking it,” the Norwalk resident told the Commission at its meeting, held in Town Hall.
Zepeda added that the signage near the spot was “confusing” and that she only saw a sign stating that the space behind her car is used as a loading zone from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. but did not see any loading zone signs in front of her car. Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg pointed out that in the photo there was, in fact, another loading zone sign in front of her car.
Miltenberg also noted that even if Zepeda only noticed the two-hour parking sign, that sign clearly states that parking hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Her ticket had been issued at 10:50 a.m. on Aug. 8.
“I pulled up and saw ‘two-hour parking,’ but I didn’t read the small print,” Zepeda said.
During deliberations prior to the 4-0 vote, Chairman Keith Richey and Commissioner Peter Ogilvie called her defense “pretty egregious.”
Others voting to uphold include Commissioners Pam Crum and Stuart Stringfellow. Commissioner Chris Hering was present but late at the meeting so he didn’t vote.