On May 14, the Sag Harbor Village Board will begin an important and long-overdue conversation with its residents about a subject that affects everyone, resident and visitor alike: parking in the village. It’s an essential conversation that requires some structure before it begins in order to be fruitful, and not just a cacophony of complaints. A workshop preceding the official hearings will be held at 6 p.m. on May 1, live and on Zoom.
Here are a few statements that should be considered for discussion. These are not meant to be statements of absolute truth — they are ideas that should be explored before an overarching policy toward parking in the village is settled.
1. There is not enough parking in Sag Harbor Village.
This is close to an absolute truth, and it needs to guide discussion. Whatever is done with the limited amount of existing spaces, the discussion should include a consideration of how to add more parking options — perhaps even outside the village, with a shuttle bringing people to the center of town on a regular basis — and how to pay for them.
2. There are numerous constituencies to consider.
The person parking could be a visitor. Could be a part-time resident. A full-time resident. An employee. Could be spending money, or not. There should be reasonable options for each, and nothing that deters visitors or makes it unaffordable.
3. Convenience should cost money.
Street parking, for example, should be metered, expensive and severely time-limited — and tightly enforced. Closer lots should be more expensive than more distant lots and spaces. Encourage people to find all those available spaces farther away from the village center by making them cheaper and of a longer duration. A shuttle could be an option.
4. Residents, workers and civic volunteers should get a break.
There should be a benefit for living here, and an even bigger perk for running with an ambulance crew or fighting fires. If you work in the village, or volunteer for the Sag Harbor Ambulance Corps and Fire Department, there should be a reasonable option to park for eight hours or more without penalty or severe inconvenience.
5. Embrace the technology.
If the village likes the ParkMobile app, there are other features it can employ, like different rates for different zones. If not, there are a number of similar services that can be deployed. Find one, and use it to the max.
6. Don’t forget alternatives to cars.
Make it increasingly attractive to walk or bike into the village instead of driving. Create infrastructure to encourage the use of ride-sharing services to get into the village, and make it easier for those vehicles to get in and out.
7. Consider everything.
Is there a way to utilize the school parking lot and a shuttle in the summer? Would a mechanical stacking system work in some lots to hoist up a car and double a lot’s capacity? Nothing should be off the table for discussion.
8. Don’t forget the roads.
The parking discussion is also a traffic discussion. The extreme backups heading into Sag Harbor in peak summer are as much a deterrent as the absence of parking once people arrive. Managing the traffic better is a separate but related conversation that needs to take place.
