‘I Think This Helps’: Three Loading Zones Downtown To Become 15-Minute Spaces

Saying there’s an increased need for quick visits to downtown New Canaan restaurants and shops, and that delivery trucks often double-park anyway, town officials this month approve a proposal to convert three loading zones to 15-minute spaces.

The Police Commission at its March 16 meeting voted 3-0 to convert loading zones on Forest Street (just past the diner), on Main Street at East Avenue and on Elm Street near the intersection with Park Street into 15-minute spaces.

Laura Budd presented the concept to the Commission in her dual roles as executive director of the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Parking Commission, which adjudicates parking ticket appeals.

“Obviously our number-one goal is always public safety,” Budd said during the meeting, held via videoconference.

She said there are some loading zones in downtown New Canaan that get frequent use and “should not be touched,” such as one on South Avenue at Elm Street, and another on Burtis Avenue. Yet business owners adjacent to the three loading zones in question largely voiced support for the change, she said.

“I did my homework and sent three separate emails to businesses adjacent to those three spots and I’ve got received primarily positive feedback that they think it would really help fluidity,” she said. “Some say, ‘Sure give it a try.’ ”

Commission Chair Paul Foley, Secretary Jim McLaughlin and member Shekaiba Bennett voted 3-0 in favor of the change. The 15-minute spaces—roughly two spaces per current loading zone—will be installed when new signage it ready, officials said.

New Canaan Police Deputy Chief John DiFederico said he worked with Budd on the proposal and that the change “makes sense for the greater good.”

“We are not looking to just do this for one or two businesses,” he said. “We looked at it holistically for the whole downtown and there seems to be a need for this. And further, we looked at statutes and town ordinances and what exactly is a loading zone, and what is loading and unloading. It seems to make sense and it fits a greater group of people that not only use the downtown but these delivery services and what not. So I think it’s a good idea.”

The trucks making deliveries still will be able to use the 15-minute spaces themselves for that purpose, if they’re free, commissioner’s said.

McLaughlin said he was “a little concerned” about the proposal.

“I know that everyone has done a lot of work asking the views of the shop owners, but no one has asked the truck drivers,” he said. “So if the trucks come to deliver and there are people parked there in the spot, where does the truck park? In other words, now it’s really reserved for the truck to make deliveries. So now you have citizens parked there to do shopping or whatever they’re doing. Where is the truck going to park?”

Budd responded that trucks double-park as near as possible to their delivery destination anyway. In addition, though loading zone designations in New Canaan are for about 7 to 10 or 11 a.m., the deliveries largely coming in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when the spaces revert to regular 2-hour parking anyway. 

Foley said, “I’m willing to give it a try to adjust, if we can, to this currently economy we have and to adjust to customer habits of 15 minutes—dash in, grab your stuff and go—and there doesn’t seem to be enough of that around town.”

McLaughlin asked how the new spaces would be monitored. Budd said she consulted with New Canaan’s parking enforcement officers first, and that they would monitor the 15-minute spaces just as they already do on Morse Court.

“They felt it would make their job clearer—that the spot is 15 minutes, it’s 15 minutes,” Budd said. “They didn’t seem to have an issue on enforcement and felt it would be clearer for them to enforce 15 as opposed to ‘what’s loading, what’s not loading.’ ”

Foley said that if the new configuration doesn’t work or causes unforeseen problems, the Commission can make a change.

“I am willing to give this effort a try,” Foley said. “I am very aware of what we should be doing for truck drivers and deliveries but our main clients here are sort of businesses in town and taxpayers in town. So I think this helps. I hope this helps a lot.”