Government

Commission Discusses Proposed Striping, Disabled Space on Morse Court

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Members of the appointed body that oversees municipal parking lots in New Canaan are asking town officials to carefully balance the number of disabled spaces needed downtown with sorely needed 15-minute spaces. Parking Manager Stacey Miltenberg told members of the Parking Commission during their July 10 meeting that disabled spots would be delineated along with the 15-minute parking spaces along the northern edge of Morse Court, as part of a new striping plan for the lot. (Currently, the parallel-parking 15-minute spaces are not lined out.)

Commissioner Nancy Bemis noted that the block of parking may be more useful if left unpainted — for example, because smaller cars wouldn’t take up a full space — and also raised a question about a plan to add a disabled space to the row. “My concern is that by adding the handicapped spot, is it going to lead to any confusion?” Bemis said at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

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Town Upholds $150 Ticket for Woman Who Parked in Disabled Space

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Town officials this month upheld a $150 ticket issued to a Norwalk woman who’d parked in a disabled space on Main Street on a Tuesday morning in May. Kim Scavo told members of the Parking Commission during her July 8 appeal hearing that she was confused because the disabled space outside the New Canaan Fire Department is designated by a sign affixed to a nearby railing, not a curbside post. The blue paint on the street that normally indicates a disabled space also isn’t visible as it is for other such parking spots in town, she told the Commission during the hearing, held via videoconference. “I don’t feel it’s clearly marked and I did not do it intentionally at all and I just don’t understand and I don’t think it’s fair,” Scavo said. The commissioners said the space was clearly marked by the sign and that any motorist pulling into the spot should have noticed it.

Around Town

‘A Woman Walked By and Told Me That Parking Was Free’: Parking Ticket Appeals

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Ticketed motorists and their spouses submitted the following appeals recently to the New Canaan Parking Commission. ***

“I parked my car there for a few minutes to run a quick errand and I was under the impression that parking was free on the weekend. I apologize for this unintended violation on my part. I have lived in New Canaan for 14 years and have never had a parking violation until today, and I very much appreciate your consideration of my appeal.”

—$25 for unpaid space in Morse Court, at 9:32 a.m. on March 27 (New Canaan resident)

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“My wife Melanie was in town on Saturday with our twin daughters and she parked in the lot across from Spiga and she received a $25 ticket. She did not pay the meter because she was unaware that you had to pay on Saturdays because before during the peak of Covid it was free.

Around Town

‘The Signage Was Unclear’: Parking Ticket Appeals

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The following appeals recently were submitted to the New Canaan Parking Commission by ticketed motorists. 

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“I am writing to appeal a parking ticket received on 12/29/2020 for parking in a spot reserved or Electric Vehicles. The reason I am applying the ticket is because of the lack of clarity from the signs that reserve the parking for plug-in vehicles. My brother, who is visiting from PA (a state where there is no legislation for reserved plug-in vehicle charging) was the one who had parked our vehicle before meeting myself (a New Canaan resident) in town. When I met with him, no more than 10 minutes after he had parked, he told me about his confusion with the signage. We promptly returned to the vehicle, as I suggested we move the car to be safe.

Around Town

‘I Was Tied Up In a Conference Call’: Parking Ticket Appeals

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What follows are excerpts from parking ticket appeals letters filed recently with the New Canaan Parking Bureau. Where available, we’ve included information on the violation for which these people were cited, in what amount, and where and when the violation occurred. We preserve all capital letters and punctuation as written by the appellant. ***

“On 9/13/16, I pulled into a parking spot on Forest St at 12:21 p.m. to meet clients at Gates at 12:30 p.m. We left Gates at 2 p.m. as my phone alarm went off to alert me that I needed to get back to the office. My clients & I walked back to my car and stood outside the car from 204 p.m. to 214 p.m. talking with a gentleman who indicated he was the Realtor for the retail condo complex across the street.