The Police Commission at its most recent meeting put off a yes-or-no vote on a proposal from a New Canaan business owner seeking to operate a valet stand on Forest Street on weekend nights for a trial run, saying there could be legal reasons for denying the request.
Commission Chair Paul Foley during the appointed body’s Oct. 20 meeting that he’s uncomfortable with the idea of “giving up public parking spaces to a private company.”
“I can’t go along with this, because I cannot give up public parking spaces on our street to a private business,” Foley said during the meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference. “I think it works great at a Roger Sherman Inn. I think it works great at a private party, and I think it works great in a parking lot where you have a restaurant and a private parking lot, if you will, at a mall or something where you pull up, you get out of your car and they valet your car. Or you pull up to a hotel, they valet your car. You pull up to a casino, they valet your car. Do it all the time. Pull up to your country club, they valet your car. But on a public street, I can’t get there. Alright? I can’t.”
He addressed town resident Billy MacLeod, who in September came to the Commission with a proposal for how New Canaan Valet could help local businesses, traffic flow and disabled residents visiting the downtown.
Introducing himself as a West School parent and member of the local VFW Post 653 as well as the Country Club of New Canaan, MacLeod said he and his wife, Meredith, are seeking a “short term trial” offering valet services on Forest Street. MacLeod said he would set up a valet stand just past the New Canaan Diner on the west side of street, using three of the 17 parking spaces on Forest for the stand, primarily for those seeking to dine out, on weekend nights. MacLeod said the company is fully insured for the proposal and would park vehicles for those with certified handicapped placards for free (the proposal comes as federal officials investigate a complaint against the town of ADA violations).
MacLeod said a four-person team of valets would not only park cars but also would usher along motorists who double-park or illegally seek to use one of two disabled spaces on the street.
“That alleviates some bottleneck there on that street, because people can pull in and park their car,” he said.
MacLeod said he has secured letters of support from five of seven restaurants on Forest, and would effectively turn the three parking spaces into dozens of spaces. A private property owner on Cross Street has agreed to work with New Canaan valet and allow the company to use a commercial lot there for parking the cars, MacLeod said. Area towns such as Greenwich already have contracts with private valet companies using on-street parking spaces to accomplish the same goals, MacLeod said.
At the end of the MacLeods’ September presentation to the Commission, it was agreed that the first selectman’s administrative officer, Tucker Murphy, would speak to the town attorney about the proposal.
But Murphy left the Oct. 20 meeting prior to the agenda item dealing with MacLeod, in order to help run a simultaneous meeting of the Town Council.
Citing a conversation Murphy, New Canaan Police Deputy Chief John DiFederico said during the meeting, “I talked to Tucker today, too, and she spoke to the town counsel, the town attorney, and we can’t.”
He added, “We spoke to our town attorneys and they said we should not do this.”
MacLeod responded, “I appreciate that very much, officer. I did speak to Tucker this afternoon, and she did relay to me the fact that she had a conversation with the attorney and he wasn’t sure.”
When DiFederico responded, “I talked to her this morning and she sounded pretty sure,” MacLeod said, “I talked to her this afternoon.”
It wasn’t immediately clear why the two appeared have received different messages.
In an email that MacLeod sent the following day, obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request, MacLeod referenced an phone call he had after the Police Commission meeting with Town Attorney Ira Bloom where he “received a very different story” than what DiFederico and Foley had relayed during the meeting.
“Albeit brief, you said that not only did you not make any ruling on this matter, you were not asked to make any ruling, and had no knowledge of the Police Commission wanting to hear back from you on this matter,” MacLeod said in the Oct. 21 email.
He continued, “Remember this was all based on an open session suggestion by Tucker Murphy back in September. You did say that someone brought up valet parking, that you recalled that, but that was it. The more I think about it the less it makes any sense. I personally feel for [Deputy] Chief DiFederico because he was insistent that Tucker said town attorneys said no to our request, not allowed. I am not sure how this all plays out, but something is not adding up.”
Murphy herself earlier in the day had sent an email to Bloom, copying only Foley, saying she wanted to “clarify my conversation with Billy Macleod yesterday afternoon.”
“I simply explained that after consultation with the town attorney, I was told that the process fo rpaprovinf the use of town property for this type of us could potentially require a public hearing (multiple hearings possibly) and that the Police Commission needs to determine next steps at their meeting,” Murphy said in the email, obtained by NewCanaanite.com though a public records request. “I advised him to attend the Police Commission meeting last evening in order to further the discussion regarding his request and respond to any questions they may have.” (It wasn’t clear whether the possible “public hearing” Murphy referred to was a simple “municipal improvement” approval from P&Z or something more involved.)
During the meeting, MacLeod said that the New Canaan Valet trial proposal for Forest Street is “well within” the town’s guidelines and Charter.
Foley responded, “I know the Charter of this town pretty well and it’s not within the Charter.”
MacLeod said, “I have looked at the Charter. I don’t see where it’s excluded anywhere.”
MacLeod asked, after having his own attorney review the town’s governing documents, “if we were able to find that it was allowable under certain circumstances, would your opinion be different?”
Foley said, “No. I am convinced I cannot do this. I’m talking about tomorrow. I can’t do it tomorrow. I can’t do it next week. I don’t see how we can do it. I don’t so to continue the discussion I think is a waste of time at the moment.”
MacLeod noted that the three spots he would seek to use are for diners looking to patronize the Forest Street restaurants where Cava, Gates, Tequila Mockingbird, New Canaan Diner and Locali already are supportive of his business concept.
Though the Commission’s meeting agenda called for a vote on the New Canaan Valet request, the three-person group ultimately decided to table the item.
To MacLeod’s request for the ability to present the idea again, Commissioner Jim McLaughlin said, “If our town attorney advises us in a definitive way that it’s not permitted, then I don’t think it’s going to make sense for you to come with a different opinion.”
Parking in our town is a nightmare. This is a great idea for business!
We really need figure this out -we have lost so many spaces due to restaurants and the cross walk situation. Its very hard to just “run into town”these days.
Westport offers free parking-we should too.
This is actually a great idea for Forest Street. The Design District in Miami, which has many high-end restaurants and retail stores, has car valets on every block. It is a great way to leverage limited parking space in high use congested areas, and an appreciated service. It would be good for New Canaan.
As owner of New Canaan Valet, it’s important to highlight some of the information in this article, such as quotes attributed to me, have been taken directly from private emails sent to Town Attorney Ira Bloom and specific Town of New Canaan officials. We may have disagreements with the Police Commission position, but we do still believe in the process and in our Police Commissioners. I have great respect for each one of them volunteering their time to serve. We understand that there needs to be process that Town of New Canaan leaders must go through to approve any use of public property to offer services. We don’t necessarily understand how it functions. And we have questions about that, but we support our public officials and are thankful for their service to the community. We look forward to working with Town of New Canaan officials, both elected and appointed, in every possible way, to work through this. We hope to earn the opportunity to serve restaurants owners, residents, and visitors. Our goal: to offer a new level of parking convenience to access the restaurants on Forest Street, and to offer much better accessibility for our limited mobility, disabled, and senior community and their families. We believe Forest Street restaurants deserve an equal opportunity to be as accessible to customers as Elm St. and Main St., which both have better access to on-street parking and closer proximity to municipal lots. Our valet parking services will do that. Our valet parking will reduce the traffic congestion on Forest Street, not add to it; it will increase mobility, not hinder it. Early on we sought input from the local business community and Forest Street restaurant owners were the most vocal. They had the most obvious problem. We now have formal letters of support from 5 of the 7 restaurants located on Forest Street, supporting our company offering valet parking services on Forest Street. We have obviously provided these letters to each official involved, but we also value your input. Please consider commenting on this article with your opinion, either pro or con. And share this with others. We’ll let the approval process work itself out. Thank you in advance.
This is not a good idea. Forest St. is a one way street and very congested already. With the dance studio on both sides and many people walking across the street during the dinner hours a valet service would be a nightmare and dangerous! I do know quite a few restaurants on Forest street and the residential building that are not in favor of the NC Valet service to be stationed on Forest st. I cant imagine the Police commission would be in favor of this proposal.
Thank you for submitting your comment, Alice. To be clear, you’re speaking on your own behalf only and not on behalf of the Heritage Square condo association that’s located across the street from this proposed valet stand, is that correct? Also, could you clarify your assertion regarding “quite a few restaurants” that are opposed? We heard from the applicant that five of seven restaurants are in favor of this concept. Or are you referring to a future tenant of the former Embody space in your mixed-use development? I know that in the recent past, a prospective occupant of that commercial space drew opposition from your association. Thank you.
Hi Michael, Yes I am commenting on my own but also I can say the Heritage Square Association as well. Emails have been sent to Police Commission etc. against the NC Valet proposal from business’s on Forest St. as well as the Condo Association. Thank you.
Hello Alice, thank you for your input. We do appreciate your position and we understand you have a vested interest in this matter; your voice and opinion on this is important. I can assure you that a valet stand on Forest Street is supposed do the exact opposite of what you expect, and we are simply asking for an opportunity to prive this will be a solution. If it doesn’t work, if it made matters worse, we would be the first to say so and we would not expect to stay. That would go against the entire reason we are doing this. As far as Forest Street restaurant support, we submitted individual signed letters addressed directly to the Police Commission from Cava, Gates, Tequila Mockingbird, New Canaan Diner, and Locali who all stated the idea deserved a chance for a trial. And one reason was, because it could allow better traffic flow without all the drop offs and pick ups. We could easily park cars for the dance studios as well, helping to ease the log jam there. Again, I am more than happy to listen to your concerns and have a conversation with you about this. You are blessed to be able to walk across the street to dine at these restaurants. Some choose not to go, especially in bad weather, simply because of lack of parking. We are asking for a trial period to prove valet can help all individuals involved. Thank you again for your input. Stay well.
There is a large public lot located a block away from most of the restaurants on Forest st. with free parking at night. There is a large public parking lot directly across the street from the restaurant on Main st. free parking at night, and there is another large public parking lot located directly behind the restaurants on Elm st. with free parking at night. Have the people of New Canaan reached a point where they need a valet to park their car to avoid walking a block or less to eat?
yes
Hello Paul. You bring up a good point. I think it’s important to single out Forest Street to note that the Locust Street clisestvto Forest St. lot can fill up quickly to service the 3 restaurants on Main St. next to the Fire Station: Chef Prasad, Pesca, and Chings Table. The walk from there is also difficult fir people with limited mobility and seniors. Forest Street only has two handicapped spaces for 7 restaurants, and if approved, we will be parking all cars with official handicapped placards as a free service. The only other option for people is to park on Cherry Street, which many do. That then requires a walk up a hill and around the block. It’s not an easy walk. This is where the bottleneck mainly occurs, with people dropping off family members, then parking, then picking up family members after. This issue is only compounded in Winter weather. We are not seeking to park on Main or Elm. I do appreciate your input.
How would service eligibility be verified ? That could easily cause a bottleneck in itself.
What happens if someone just wants to park in one of available handicapped spots without using service? Will they be allowed to?
Hello Richard, thank you for your question. Everyone is eligible to to park, so we would every car that would like to vaket park. We use a parking technology to check cars in that only takes 60 seconds per car and each car receives a ticket. No payments are taken. That is all done electronically via phone to be a touchless as possible to follow COVID-19 best practices. We can still take cash, but it would be at the delivery of the vehicle. We want the lanes clear for receipt of cars so the process is exactly the same for each car, we task for first name last initial and a cell phone number. The only difference is ith our handicapped customers which we will park at no charge, is thst we will identify vehicles with a visible handicapped placard, and they will receive a no charge ticket. We will treat everyone the same, with a big smile and a welcome hello. Our system is designed for speed and efficiency, folks with certified handicapped placards will just not be charged. But even better, our system allows for guests to request their vehicle from the restaurant via their text messages on their phone from their table prior to departure. All a guest needs to do is click on a text, press a button to request their cars. We then notify them by text of an estimated arrival time in minutes, and then text them when their vehicle is outside. So with out system their is no standing outside waiting in weather for vehicles and no lines. We keep the the car outside for two minutes, if the guest does not arrive, we notify them by text thst we are circling that vehicle one time to give them a second chance. This does two things, it leaves the valet area clear to receive cars and deliver others, and it reduces idling time. It’s a really cool and simple system that we chose to use to make things more efficient and specifically reduce any chance for bottnecks. It does cost us money, but it’s worth it. Our private party customers really love it. You can watch a video about the technology here: https://youtu.be/uhmaUb9Ts_8. Thank you again for your input, I am very glad you brought it up.
Billy thank you for the detailed explanation. I’m glad that I asked, as I had the wrong impression from reading the articles that program was only going to be for senior citizens and the handicapped. If it is for everyone it sounds like would be a great service for “restaurant row”.