NORWAY — The selectmen’s vote last Thursday to reinstate the town’s two-hour parking limit on Main Street simply means enforcement is at the discretion of the police chief, according to Board of Selectmen Chairman Warren Sessions.
The decision is a reversal of an earlier 4-1 vote in December to remove the two-hour parking limit section from the eight-page parking ordinance. The board reversed its decision after hearing from a half dozen downtown business owners at a second public hearing Jan. 15. Those owners asked that the limit remain on the books so it could be used if necessary.
Although the two-hour limit will remain in effect, police Chief Rob Federico said it will simply be there as a “tool” to use if a problem does arise. He said there are too many other priorities to devote an officer to chalking and ticketing cars when there is not a serious problem.
Selectmen agree.
“The way we see it, we won’t dedicate a man to chalking cars, but if there is a chronic abuser, we will address it,” Sessions said.
The police chief is asking people to call him if they see any chronic offenders. First-time offenders get a warning. Violations carry a $25 fine.
Business owners on Main Street say they agree with the decision.
“Yes, I was in favor of that,” said Paul Brook, owner of Woodman’s Sporting Goods.
Brook, who has been on Main Street for the past 22 years, said that years ago, a community officer was assigned to walk up and down Main Street and chalk cars. Then the problem went away.
Like other business owners on Main Street, Brook said there is an occasional violator, such as a car that parks for a few minutes in the crosswalk or people parking on Main Street to unload their goods during Saturday farmers’ markets.
The issues, he said, are almost always cleared up quickly by reminding the motorist that their parking is inconvenient for other motorists and violates the two-hour parking limit.
“No big deal,” he said. “I’m hoping all the publicity will smarten people up to the situation. I think that’s all it will take.”
The ordinance, which covers townwide parking issues, was enacted in 1978 by voters and amended over the years.
The opening of municipal parking lots has helped ease the parking issue downtown, officials said.
Selectmen said they called for a public hearing in December after an editorial in the Advertiser Democrat called for the board to take action on the parking limit, one way or the other. No one showed up to comment at the first hearing, so the majority of the board decided to eliminate the section that dealt with the two-hour limit.
The second hearing was to vote on the amended parking ordinance. At that time, business owners asked that the section be kept in the ordinance as a way to remind motorists to be courteous of others.
Parking on Main Street for more than two hours is a longtime practice by some motorists, including business owners and residents. They have generally not been ticketed, nor have there been many complaints, board members said.
“The chief of police will decide when and how often there is enforcement,” Town Manager David Holt said. “The more problems become evident, the more enforcement there will be.”
Holt said downtown businesspeople and motorists usually are considerate of others.
“The town appreciates everyone’s best effort to keep the parking spaces directly in front of retail and business establishments available for customers,” Holt said.
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