Those holding annual permits for New Canaan’s municipal parking lots need not worry just now about renewing them, officials said Monday.
Typically, the Parking Bureau sends renewal notifications each May to permit-holders for lots such as the Lumberyard, Talmadge Hill and Park Street Lots. They expire June 30, just before the fiscal year begins.
Yet this year, “[g]iven the current circumstances with regard to the COVID-19 virus, the Board of Selectman and Parking Commission are planning to extend the current permit year for the time period covering the state’s stay-at-home order and pro-rating next year’s permit fees,” according to Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg.
“For this reason, permit renewal applications will not be mailed out in May as they have been in the past,” Miltenberg said in a bulletin posted to the town’s website. “Permits will remain in effect until an extension date is determined.”
Rates for annual parking permits range from $150 (Center School Lot) to $624 (Railroad/Lumbeyard), and residents can wait as long as five or six years for the most coveted lots. The Parking Commission in March voted 4-1 to hold rates flat this year, citing the introduction of a new sales tax from the state.
New Canaan stands to take in about $675,000 in parking permit revenues during the current fiscal year, according to budget documents updated April 2—$35,000 more than originally forecasted.