Morristown Resident Seeks Compromise on Parking Restriction

Steve Tarsitano, a resident at a home at the dead end of Wetmore Avenue, raised concerns last week with the new parking restrictions.

“I speak for the residents at 83 Wetmore. I started a petition to get the rest of the people on my block, so that you know that it’s not just me talking about this,” he said, referring to the new ordinance where non-residents can park there for 2 hours from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. but “no one can park there if they’re a non-resident after 6 p.m.”

Residents are issued a yearly pink decal for their car and four guest passes, he said.

“My issue is that I think this ordinance came about, … rightfully so because there were a lot of customers parking on the streets and residents complained.

"I don’t want to affect them with what I’m saying. I think that’s fine in certain areas, but I don’t think it’s one size fits all,” he said. “Where I live, it’s a (residential) dead end and … it’s a ghost town there and it has been for four years.”

He asked for a modification to the parking restriction as a compromise.

“I’m only talking about my block; it’s the last block of Wetmore,” he said, suggesting a sign indicating 2-hour parking from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. but allow cars to park overnight for his block, which starts after Doughty Street/Ogden Place.

“The only people who park there overnight are friends of residents who need to sleep off intoxication or just decided to stay over. If they’re there longer (beyond just overnight) they can be towed,” he said, adding that the parking restriction takes away from the parking appeal that attracted him to the location in the first place.

Councilwoman Alison Deeb asked if the council could “relax the restriction on that block of Wetmore.”

“When I approached the subject, it was the upper part of Wetmore,” she said.

“You can change it … and amend it however you want,” said Mayor Tim Dougherty. “We’re not opposed to it.”

Business Administrator Michael Rogers added, “I don’t have an opinion … if he (Tarsitano) comes back with an overwhelming majority of the residents on that block that want that amended, we would consider it.”

However, Deeb pushed strongly for the council to relax the parking restriction for the last block of Wetmore without a resident petition because “I believe it was done erroneously. I also received numerous complaints about this parking policy … It was introduced when I was away. There’s been a lot of issues with this process that I am very disappointed with.”

Councilwoman Rebecca Feldman said this issue will be listed as new business for next meeting.