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A North Stamford mother of two who said she did not realize the section of the Playhouse Lot where she parked required payment had her $30 ticket voided by the New Canaan Parking Commission on a divided vote at its most recent meeting.
Valerie Storr, told commissioners July 8 that she had just come from a pediatrician’s appointment with her young children and was trying out the New Canaan office for the first time. She received a ticket on June 16 at 2:37 p.m. in the Playhouse Lot. In a written appeal, Storr said she had not noticed the upper and lower portions of the lot were different.
“I’m very sorry. As a busy mom of two kids, ages 6 years and 4 months, I didn’t notice the upper and lower parking lot were different,” Storr wrote. “Much to my surprise backing out to leave I noticed a ticket on my window.”
Storr appeared before the Commission via Zoom from her car and told commissioners she had recently moved to North Stamford from Greenwich and had been trying out the New England Pediatrics office in New Canaan.
“I had just been to New England Pediatrics and stopped shortly to get a treat for my daughter for being good at the doctor,” she said. “I was trying out the New Canaan office.”
Storr said she noticed the signs in the lot only after she had already received the ticket.
“Some say paid and others say 3-hour free,” she said. “I looked around and noticed there are green and white signs in both lots reading differently.”
Commission Chair Nancy Bemis said she was inclined to void the ticket, noting that Storr was a new visitor to the area who had not yet learned the layout of the town’s lots.
“She just moved to North Stamford,” Bemis said. “She was trying out the pediatric office in New Canaan and just stopped in for a quick moment. I think it’s a situation that is understandable.”
Commissioner Katie O’Neill and Secretary Kevin Karl agreed. Commissioner John Clarke, participating via Zoom, dissented, maintaining the same position he had held throughout the evening.
“I have the same position that I had last meeting,” Clarke said. “Ignorance of the law is the defense here. The signage is the signage.”
The commission voted 3-1 to void the ticket.
Storr, in her written appeal, said she hoped to return to New Canaan.
“We love New Canaan and would like to come back,” she wrote. “I would much appreciate it if we could get out of paying this ticket.”