At this week’s Greenport Village Board work session, parking was once again on the agenda and several ideas were brought forth to address the need for more short-term spots at the IGA and for more parking in general.
Trustee Doug Roberts proposed adding 11 spaces for 30-minute parking at Greenport’s IGA. Presently there are nine spots designated for a maximum of 30 minutes in the lot.
By increasing the number of 30-minute spots in the parking lot there would be a total of approximately 30 short-term spaces available near the IGA, Roberts said, pointing out that this includes parallel parking spots on First Street. Presently the 30-minutes spots are monitored by traffic control officers or code enforcement officers and the added spaces would also be overseen by them.
With parking at a premium throughout the village, the board discussed future plans for accommodating the increasing number of spots that are needed.
Roberts suggested clearing empty space at the MTA site on Fourth Street near the railroad tracks, which would generate at least 20 more parking spots.
If the MTA would agree to let the village rip out the weeds, lay down RCA and paint some lines, the plan could work, said Roberts.
The board also discussed the idea of having visitors park outside the village and using a shuttle to transport the downtown. They do not presently have a plan for this, but talked about having interested bidders from the private sector come to the village and share their ideas about what might be possible.
A public hearing on the addition of the 11 new spaces at the IGA will be held at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2018 at the Third Street firehouse.
