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Two EV Charging Stations Coming to Town Hall Parking Lot

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Nearly one year after an appointed municipal body made the recommendation, the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved a contract to install two more charging stations for electric vehicles at the Town Hall parking lot. The “dual pole level 2 charger” will be located in two spots alongside the former Outback Teen Center building on the south side (toward Elm Street), officials said during the selectmen’s regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

“This was in the works for some time and then there became a rebate available which will pay for basically half of this system, so we waited for that to come into play,” Joe Zagarenski, senior engineer with the New Canaan Department of Public Works, said at the meeting. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted 3-0 in favor of a $15,960 contract with New Canaan-based Santella Electric. “This lot is free for visitors to Town Hall,” Moynihan said. “How are we going to get reimbursed for the cost?”

Zagarenski said there are a few ways to do that, including through a mobile app or by assigning numbers to the two spaces in question and directing motorists to pay at the nearby Playhouse Lot machine.

Government

Town Upholds $150 Ticket Issued to Truck Driver Who Parked in Disabled Space

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Town officials this month upheld a $150 ticket issued to a Norwalk resident who parked a truck in a disabled space on Elm Street. The motorist, Alexander Gil, had received the ticket at 11:12 a.m. on Jan. 21 (a Friday). In an appeal letter sent to the Parking Commission, Gil said he parked with hazard lights on for about one minute while trying to make a delivery. During a March 10 appeal hearing before the Commission, Gil’s supervisor at work—a man who identified himself only as ‘Diego’—said that it’s difficult to park a large truck in New Canaan and that there’s a lack of loading zones.

Government

Town Upholds $75 Parking Ticket Issued to Woman Who Obstructed Fire Hydrant

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Town officials last week upheld a $75 ticket issued to a West Haven woman who’d parked in front of a fire hydrant on Cherry Street. Mary Chegwidden told members of the Parking Commission during a March 10 appeal hearing that she had only parked by the fire hydrant in the area of 111 Cherry St. for about five minutes “so I could deliver to a client, DB Fine Wines.”

“I had some heavy boxes because I had some marketing materials and some heavy papers,” Chegwidden said during the hearing, held via videoconference. “So I wanted to drop it off to them quickly.”

The ticket had been issued at about 1:20 p.m. on Jan. 26, a Wednesday. 

The Commission voted 4-1 to uphold it.

Government

‘This Was Truly an Accident’: Parking Ticket Appeals

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The New Canaan Parking Commission recently received the following written appeals from ticketed motorists. ***

“I was simply making a quick delivery to my client, DB fine wines, and had a heavy load. I stayed no more than five minutes, the time to unload, but it was quite heavy and I did not want to break my back.”

—$75 for obstructing a hydrant on Cherry Street, at 1:20 p.m. on Jan. 26 (West Haven resident)

***

“I received a parking ticket for a commercial vehicle, while I was staying with my hazard lights ON and I was not even at the place for more than 1 minute, while I was checking to see if the place was open to make a delivery.”

—$150 for handicapped zone on Elm Street, at 11:12 a.m. on Jan. 21 (Norwalk resident)

Parking enforcement officer’s note: “This individual was asked not to park in the handicap space and to double park the previous day when making a delivery.”

***

“I did not realize the spot where I parked was handicapped.

Government

Parking Commission Voids $30 Ticket Issued for Loading Zone Violation on Elm Street 

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Members of the Parking Commission at their most recent meeting voided a $30 ticket issued to a local business owner who had parked in a loading zone on Elm Street. Pam Alberino of New Canaan Ski & Sport told the Commission during an appeal hearing last month that she was using the loading zone properly at the time she received the ticket—a characterization that is at odds with the head of the Parking Bureau. “I was unloading my truck and putting stuff into my truck because there is no places for me to load and my back parking lot was also filled,” Alberino said during gate Feb. 7 hearing, held via videoconference. “So I had to walk and unload it and when I came back out to put some stuff in the car, I had a ticket and it was like 9:59 or 9:58.