Parking Still An Issue At Old Lyme's Sound View Beach

While not quite as dramatic as last year's parking wars—when Sound View business owners packed Old Lyme Board of Selectmen's meetings with people protesting the town's decision to charge for street parking—a number of business owners remain unhappy with the new parking arrangement on Hartford Avenue. 

The chief complaint is with the new layout, which has changed Hartford Avenue from parallel parking on both sides of the street to diagonal parking on one side only. The change was made for safety reasons, but according to local business owner Heidi DiNino, the angled parking is more dangerous. 

"DOT does not recommend diagonal parking for on street parking," DiNino said at Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting. DiNino said she felt diagonal parking posed a safety hazard as people are now standing in the street when they unpack beach gear or strollers from the trunk. She also noted that it was harder for people with physical disabilities to exit their vehicles as they could no longer step out onto the sidewalk but had to negotiate curbs. 

The bumpers needed to delineate the angled parking also posed a hazard, she said, as people tripped over them. The new bumpers also made it impossible for the street sweeper to clear one side of the road and would make it impossible to plow that side in the winter. 

DiNino complained that the change had reduced the number of parking spaces available on the street. "We need more spots, and it's a decrease," she said. 

She also noted that the new arrangement made it very difficult for delivery trucks to unload or for trucks with trailers to park. That, she said, was having a negative impact on local businesses. 

On the flip side, Frank Pappalardo, chairman of Sound View Commission, said that the commission has also heard a number of favorable comments about the new arrangement and that a number of local residents believe it to be an improvement.  

Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder defended the new layout, noting that it was designed by an engineering firm hired by the town that is well-versed in DOT standards. However, she said the Board remained open to suggestions and had pledged from the start to reconsider the new parking arrangement at the end of the season. 

"Nothing is going to be perfect. Even with the parallel parking, there were safety issues," said Reemsnyder. However, she added that the town "has been listening and it will be considered with the engineer." 

"We know this is a work in progress," agreed Old Lyme Selectman Skip Sibley. 

"It will be important that businesses are part of the solution," said Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal. "I really think we all have to work together."

Another sticking point, which came up at a recent Parks and Recreation meeting, was that private parking lot operators at Sound View had been complaining that it hurts their business when the town reduces the municipal parking lot fees in inclement weather. This complaint isn't new, however, and neither is the town's policy of reducing parking fees when business is slow.

At the start of the season, the Board of Selectmen agreed to let Parks and Recreation Director Don Bugbee, who has operated the town lot at Sound View for more than a decade, continue with this practice. To change it, Bugbee told the Board of Selectmen, would result in revenue losses for the town and the money from parking fees is needed to help the town cover the cost of staffing and maintaining the public beach area at Sound View.