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Village to begin enforcing timed parking on Main Road, Front Street

Greenport Village will begin enforcing timed parking beginning on Saturday, May 27 on Main Road and Front Street, according to a notice from village code enforcement officer Greg Morris.

The Village restricts parking to two hours on Front Street and Main Street between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday but hasn’t been enforcing it.

In addition, the village announced that timed parking limits on other parking areas throughout the village will be enforced beginning Saturday, June 10.

These restrictions, on roads like Adams Street, First Street, and South Street, have varying lengths of time.

“Timed parking has not been enforced for long while, so we’re beginning enforcement now,” said Village Administrator Paul Pallas. He said there has been no decision on when or if to stop enforcement of these timed parking limits.

The Village Code does not mention anything about only enforcing timed parking at certain times of year.

“We haven’t enforced it years,” Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said. “The Southold Police wouldn’t enforce our code, and we didn’t have anyone on staff to do it. So when we hired Greg Morris last June, one of the goals was to have him enforce timed parking.”

Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said that merchants have asked to be notified ahead of time when timed parking enforcement will begin.

The Village has increased its enforcement of other types of parking violations since Mr. Morris was hired in June 2016, which in turn, has greatly increased the amount of fines that have been collected.

According to the Village budget, the Village is anticipating $80,000 in parking violation fines for this fiscal year, which runs from June to May, while the previous budget anticipated only $8,000.

Since June 2016, the village has received $68,865 in parking violation fines though March 2017, according to information on its monthly Village Board meeting agendas.

The code enforcement position had been vacant for some time prior to Mr. Morris’s hiring last year.

“It’s made a difference, but the goal is compliance, not financial,” Mr. Pallas said.

The village also has several lots that provide unrestricted parking, including the Main Street/First Street lot, the Adams Street lot, the South Street lot and the Fourth Street lot.

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