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.

Government

Parking Officials: Commuter Lot by Train Station Remains 60% to 75% Empty on Weekdays

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Saying demand for commuter parking remains down, town officials are in the process of issuing 100 additional permits for the large lot right next to the train station. On a given weekday, the Lumberyard Lot remains somewhere between 60% and 75% empty, parking officials say. In November, the appointed body that oversees the town’s municipal lots asked Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg to start issuing an additional 100 permits. As of the Parking Commission’s Feb. 7 meeting, Miltenberg had moved down 137 names on the list, she said—39 people wanted permits, 64 wanted to be added to a “priority list” where they reserve the right to pay for a permit in the future, nine didn’t want a permit and 25 never responded.

Government

Town Upholds $150 Parking Ticket Issued for Blocking Disabled Space

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Town officials this month upheld a $150 ticket issued to a Norwalk woman who had blocked a disabled space on Main Street while picking up a large item purchased at a local store. Clara Cohen told members of the Parking Commission that she didn’t realize she was blocking a space on the afternoon of Jan. 4 (a Tuesday) when she pulled up in front of the store near East Avenue for about two minutes with her flashers on. Cohen had paid to park in a municipal lot while doing her shopping that day, she told the Commission during a Feb. 7 appeal hearing, held via videoconference. 

“There was a mail truck right in front of the store and I don’t want to block that, so I pulled up a little more,” she said. 

“I didn’t realize blocking a handicapped spot.