The following appeals were recently filed with the Parking Department. Appeals are adjudicated by the Parking Commission.
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“I honestly had no knowledge that we now have to pay to park on Elm Street. I never received mail on the new changes and rarely go on the computer. I never noticed the new signs you say are posted. I find the idea of having to pay to park in our town very upsetting. I ended up with a $30 ticket just dropping off my 13 yrs old granddaughter at Starbucks so she could order a drink. I just happened to see a car pull out of a spot near Starbucks, pulled in so my granddaughter, who is visiting from KY, could order her drink. After she ordered I briefly went in to pay while she waited for the order. As soon as she got her order we left. During that short time I ended up with a ticket. I was shocked and surprised that I got a ticket since I didn’t have any idea of the new changes. Hard to believe. What happened to giving New Canaan residents the ability to shop in town for a short time without making it unpleasant and complicated? I was told by the Parking Department it was because of the traffic flow in town. I’m not sure how charging for parking changes the congestion situation, if there is one. That makes no sense. I have lived in NC since 1973 and this has never been an issue. Could the reason be the fact that we lost parking spaces due to allowing restaurants to continue their street dining policy? Charging to park in our town has turned it into a commercial shopping center instead of the feeling of a small town. If a few people abused the privilege of free parking then give them a ticket…When I say reasonable, that’s not $30. Changes can be positive or negative for a town. New Canaan is special because it’s one of the last small towns that people feel part of a love walking the street at night during the summer. Now it feels like a town that doesn’t care about its residents. No longer do you feel it’s your town. This makes the residents mad and not supportive of the town. As a senior resident in this town, paying taxes for over 53 years, we deserve something in return. We now are paying for the privilege of enjoying our town? How sad! I know the policy won’t change at this point until someone decides to begin a petition to remove the new policy. Many seniors don’t use cell phones or go on the computer and are still unaware of the new policy. Maybe a letter would have justified to explain the new policy with a map. We still like mail! I think when a decision is made one should always consider what makes New Canaan special. Do we want a town that is just a commercial center with stores and restaurants, like a shopping center, or a town the residents feel part of? A place they go to meet friends and enjoy a cup of coffee. It’s now become a hassle…god forbid you overstay by 5 minutes enjoying your coffee and your friends.”
—$30 for unpaid space on Elm Street (New Canaan resident)
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“I used to be employed for about 10 years working in town for [illegible]. I retired about 12 years ago… I was in town yesterday around lunch time to grab a bite to eat and walk around, and had no idea [illegible], I would have been a little more observant.”
—$30 for unpaid space on Elm Street (Greenwich resident)
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Here’s where this one happened. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Parking Department
“Tried to park in the train station lot and due to construction at the lot many spots were blocked off limiting the usual amount of spots we park for work. So had no other choice than to park in the commuter lot in order to make the train and not be late for work and miss important Monday morning meeting with my boss. Please understand. Thank you.”
—$35 for no permit in the Lumberyard Lot (New Canaan resident)
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Here’s this one. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Parking Department
“I am appealing the citation on the basis of inadequate notice. The town’s Parking Lot Directory describes Park Street as a ‘free (3) hour maximum lot.’ The provided image includes the row in which I parked, and the expanded description describes only [disabled] spaces, not a permit-only section. The physical signs read ‘Parking for Park St Permits,’ which is reasonably interpreted as designating where permit holders park, perhaps for a time greater than three hours. If the town’s intent is to exclude parking by other vehicles, some variation of ‘Parking by Permit Only’ must be posted. Furthermore, there are no markings on the ground to differentiate these specific spaces as different from the remainder of the free lot. The only place a back-row permit restriction appears is as a yellow sliver in a map image on the Parking Department’s page. On the day in question, I made multiple passes through the lot, waited in the Town Hall lot but declined to leave my vehicle there in observance of the posted signage, and took the only available space in the Park St. lot in good faith. When the lot directory, written description, physical signage and ground markings all fail to communicate a true restriction, that burden should not fall on the town resident going about his business honestly. I respectfully request dismissal and revision of the posted signage.”
—$35 ticket for no permit in the Park Street Lot (New Canaan resident)
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“I respectfully request dismissal of the above-referenced parking citation. On June 9, 2026, I parked my vehicle at the cited location believing the space to be a legal parking spot. Prior to leaving my vehicle, I looked for parking restrictions and did not observe any visible ‘No Parking’ signs or markings that would reasonably indicate parking was prohibited. I also paid the required parking fee of $6, demonstrating my good-faith belief that parking was permitted at that location. Attached is a photograph showing the location from the driver’s perspective. As this photograph demonstrates, there was no clearly visible sign or marking indicating that the space was a no-parking zone. A reasonable driver approaching and parking in the space would not have been aware that parking was prohibited. There was also another car parked in a spot behind my vehicle with no ticket. Because the area was not clearly marked and because I paid for parking in reliance on the apparent legality of the space, I respectfully request that this citation be dismissed. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
—$35 ticket for no-parking zone in the Railroad Lot (New Canaan resident)