Jul. 2, 2014: Parking issues dominated the evening's discussion at the near-capacity audience attending the town hall meeting on June 24 to learn details about the Kensington Road development. The project is expected to begin July 7.

Although the finished project will provide 200 covered parking spaces under village jurisdiction to replace the 176 spaces currently occupying the lot, the merchants, commuters, and residents who hold Kensington lot permits will be displaced to other lots and village streets for much of the duration of construction. Neighborhood residents hold seventy-three of the permits that allow 24-hour parking privileges.

Fareri Associates Development manager Jim Carnicelli assured the gathering that the company has every incentive to provide the parking garage to the village as soon as possible. The company anticipates doing that in late 2015 or early 2016, provided remaining construction activities will not compromise public safety.

Peggy Conway, village deputy treasurer and parking director, outlined the village's plans to provide parking for permit holders who will be displaced. Merchant permit holders will be moved to the Garden Avenue lot; commuters will be given designated spaces in the Kraft Avenue lot; and 24-hour permit holders will be shifted to street parking.

Under home rule legislation championed by State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and State Senator George Latimer, the village will issue LK permits to the seventy-three 24-hour permit holders that will allow them overnight parking on Sagamore Road, Kensington Road, Valley Road, four designated spaces on Prescott Avenue, and Paxton Avenue.

The construction management plan initially called for the elimination of all parking on Kensington Road along the project's site line. That plan has been revised to retain parking on the east side of the street.

Sagamore Road residents, already facing difficulties parking and finding temporary space for unloading groceries and heavy items, and assisting children and the elderly, expressed concern that they will face an impossible situation when LK permit holders begin to use the street.

"People will just camp out," a resident said. "They'll leave their cars there for the next two-and-a-half years. You're really opening up a lot of inconveniences for people who live on Sagamore."

Conway noted that the village will make Avon Road available for four-hour parking and next year will petition the state to allow Avon to be added to the street list for overnight parking. Any change to the home rule legislation must wait until the next legislative session.

"We are exploring every single option the village has for parking," Conway stated, "and we will continue to do that. We understand that this is going to be challenging, but we will be 100 percent listening to any concerns you have."

Mayor Mary Marvin stated that many of the LK permit holders will go to newly created spaces, 20 of which are on Sagamore Road from Avon Road to the Tuckahoe border. "We're not trying to take 73 cars and put them in spots that already exist," she said. "We're adding to the street inventory. We probably have at least 30 to 35 spaces somewhere else."

Bronxville Police Chief Christopher Satriale stated that the village is trying to find enough new spaces outside the sensitive Sagamore Road locations to accommodate LK permit holders so that Sagamore Road does not become a mixed-use parking area, making enforcement difficult. "If it goes to mixed use, it's very manpower-intensive to check each and every car every night. We have no choice but to do it."

Conway asked that LK permit holders who plan to leave town for an extended period of time not leave their cars parked on Sagamore Road for the duration of a long trip. She urged LK permit holders to call her, as she and Chief Satriale have been working to find safe places to accommodate those cars.

"The plan will go better the more people are considerate of their neighbors," Mayor Marvin said. "Our goal is that the more people cooperate, the better it's going to work."

Pictured here:  Mayor Mary Marvin discussing the project with residents.

Photo by Carol P. Bartold