News

Selectman Williams Proposes Elimination of Metered Parking in New Canaan

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Shoppers and diners would feel more welcome in New Canaan if they faced enforceable parking time limits instead of pay machines, Selectman Nick Williams said Tuesday. Though cars wouldn’t be allowed to sit in a parking space all day and enforcement officers would ticket overtime violators, New Canaan should look into eliminating metered parking downtown, Williams said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen. “It would be, I think, great for our town in the sense that it would be a talking point: Come to New Canaan, you don’t have to worry about putting money in the meter, don’t have to worry about running out of time,” Williams said during the meeting, held in Town Hall. “You would have to consider it can’t be a situation where you can’t park all day in Morse Court or elsewhere—maybe it’s two hours, maybe it’s three hours, that would be something for discussion— but I put that out there because we need to do whatever we can to support our downtown.”

The comments came during an open discussion of general matters before the town. New Canaan offers metered parking spaces in the Morse Court, Locust Avenue, Park Street, Playhouse, Railroad and Talmadge Hill Lots.

Government

Parking Bureau To Move into Town Hall

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Those caught violating local parking rules—or who at least are accused of such, with photographic proof—soon will be able to settle up with New Canaan at Town Hall instead of schlepping it to the second floor of the Police Department. At First Selectman Kevin Moyinhan’s request, the Parking Bureau is relocating to the first-floor space at 77 Main St. that had been occupied by the fire marshal (now downstairs). 

With the move, a good portion of paying services in New Canaan—through the offices of the tax collector, town clerk and now, parking—will be consolidated a single area. 

The way it works now makes little sense, Moynihan said. “It’s crazy, people come in to pay their parking tickets and they say, ‘Oh you have to go over to the police station.’ ‘Well where’s the police station?’ And on the second floor, by the way,” Moyinhan said during a July 26 media briefing in his office at Town Hall. “So that was one of the primary reasons to move them over here.

Government

Friday Renewal Deadline Looms for New Canaan Parking Permit-Holders

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Those who hold parking permits for lots in New Canaan have until Friday to renew them or else face late fees or even cancellation, officials say. The New Canaan Parking Bureau will accept payment, by check only, at its office on the second floor of the New Canaan Police Department through 4:30 p.m. on June 29, according to Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg. Permit-holders also may pay by that deadline online, with an approximately 3.5 percent service charge, or may mail in a check so long as it’s postmarked by June 30, she said. That means permit-holders “cannot drop it in the mail and hope that the Post Office runs it through a machine—they have to go into the Post Office and have it stamped,” she said. Those who fail to renew by Friday face a $50 late fee in July, $100 in August and losing the permit after Sept.

Government

Parking Department Launches New Email, Text Alert System

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Seeking new ways to reach local motorists, the New Canaan Parking Department has launched a text and email alert service. By filling out a “Parking Alert Email Request Form”—available here on the department’s page on the municipal website—subscribers can get “updates on commuter lots, waitlist information and any other important parking notifications,” according to Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg. The Google form is designed to “better serve New Canaan residents and commuters,” she said. Once people sign up for email or text notifications, or both, they’ll receive a confirmation through their chosen platform. The alert system comes as New Canaan takes steps to expand parking facilities and so reduce waiting times for permits at coveted lots.

Around Town

‘I Assumed Jewish Holidays Counted’: Parking Ticket Appeals

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What follows are excerpts from parking ticket appeals letters filed recently with the New Canaan Parking Bureau. Where available, we’ve included information on the violation for which these people were cited, in what amount, and where and when the violation occurred. For context, we’ve also added town of residence for the ticketed motorist. We preserve spelling, capital letters and punctuation as written by the appellant. ***

“I was getting married on 9/29/17 and my daughter from NYC (9 girls) were having our nails, hair, etc.