Parking & Safety For Residents and Visitors

I never thought that someday I would be writing a letter like this to my local village government, forwarding copies to local, state, federal representatives/government agencies, and publishers too. Unfortunately this beautiful end of summer Sunday morning started off with a minor event that really doesn't deserve the time spent or ink used to print this letter. Issues like hunger, violence against women and children, etc., are far more important then Port Jefferson Village parking.

However, after witnessing decades of Port Jefferson School District sporting events, attended by hundreds of people from our own village and visiting towns, you would think that the village would have a parking solution by now. This issue is more then about one sided or two sided parking laws on local streets. From an emergency issue, on a day that there may be a local football game, or cross-country state event, or track event, or lacrosse, or whatever, you can't have two-way driving with two sided street parking. It's virtually impossible. If there were a house fire on the street I live on the Port Jefferson Fire Department could never park by the fire hydrant while other emergency vehicles try to navigate the street. The residents living on my street could never get passed one another unless they wait for the vehicle(s) to exit the street. Throw in families getting in and out of their cars with car doors opened- impossible. This Sunday I watched a little girl waiting to get into the family SUV, maybe four or five years old, almost get hit by a car that was driving down a hill navigating between cars parked on both sides of the street- some with doors opened.

Today a dark blue Honda Pilot partially blocked my driveway to attend a football game. This person's SUV had MD letters on their license plates. My driveway has a 30- 40º angle which cannot be left or approached perpendicularly. When cars are parked across the street you have a major problem avoiding an accident. You would think that an intelligent person like a doctor would realize this, if they had any geometry or algebra (a prerequisite to college). Any car would have a difficult time exiting the driveways on our street if a parked car partially blocked it. 

I placed a sign on the doctor's/driver's window that read, "DON'T BLOCK THIS DRIVEWAY". The doctor/driver left without trying to apologize and hung the sign on the adjacent telephone pole. Obviously this was a reflection of his or her arrogant character. Maybe being a doctor has certain parking privileges during local football games that the village allows, or the booster club recognizes, or the local court waves. 

This has happened before but our local village enforcement seems to turn its head when it comes to enforcing the rights of village residents during these special events. I'm sure the village would rather not tackle ticket issues, or create any inconvenience to it's visitors. Maybe that's bad for commerce or maybe it's just a negative public relations thing. Lunch in Port Jefferson after the game is far more important then safety. In addition, littering on village streets, along residents homes, always compliments a game, but who really cares about trashing Port Jefferson Village streets. That's why we have Port Jefferson Public Works- to clean up after those sporting events, right?

After living in this village for almost 50 years the privileges residents had are slowly diminishing, like parking by the Port Jefferson Marina along the docks. I never thought I would have to pay for parking in my own village to enjoy the harbor views- even if the Town Of Brookhaven controls the marina. They didn't before. I used to go to Cedar Beach until the town started charging $5 for parking. Really?…$5 dollars for parking? What? Not enough from the taxes being collected to operate the township? Isn't the village sharing revenue opportunities with the town? Maybe not. Maybe residents should have a Port Jefferson Village Resident Card, in addition to the parking sticker. Then the card could be loaded with village perks, like… free parking anywhere in the village, and… well- I'm sure the village could think of something.

Life in Port Jefferson back in the 60's and 70's was pretty simple, not like today with all the concern for commerce. It seems like commerce comes first- residents come second. To me this village has lost it's old fashioned charm, it's culture is weak, it's artistic quality is disappearing, and residents are losing their privileges. However, the Village Center is a nice addition, and the waterfront park too. It feels like the village has more of a cosmetic concern, then building that village character, that charm it had with a sprinkle of spirit years ago. Where are those old visiting ships from yesteryear, or the old ice cream stores, or the silversmith and the artisans? I'm sorry… I appear to be drifting- getting off subject. Parking! That's right- Parking!

Since I'm writing I may as well throw in the whole street thing. Streets and parking do go together. Finally, I'm happy to see the streets of Port Jefferson are slowly being repaved. Thank god. I look forward to every pothole, every rut, every deteriorating piece of asphalt in Port Jefferson being replaced. There are so many roads to repair, that day will be a day to remember. So will this parking thing too.

Chris

A Port Jefferson Resident