Despite an imminent recommendation in favor of single-space meters from the village parking committee, a minority of trustees continue to lobby for multi-space alternatives.
While the chairwoman of the village’s Ad Hoc Parking Committee, Maria DeRose, who is also running as a Republican for a seat on the village board, told the Review last week that the committee would soon recommend single-space meters following a pilot program on Mamaroneck Avenue, trustees Leon Potok and David Finch, both Democrats, continue to advocate further consideration of their multi-space counterparts.
“If we install multi-space meters on [Mamaroneck Avenue] tomorrow, the amount of revenue we would capture is persuasive,” Finch said. “And a year from now people would be fine with it.”
While both Democrats argue that the multi-space meters could save the village $2 million over the next seven years—due in part to their easier levels of maintenance and ability to hold more money—residents have consistently derided them for their lack of user-friendliness.
In January, a poll conducted by the committee saw overwhelming support for single-space meters.
Additionally, Trustee Ilissa Miller, a Democrat, has gone against her Democratic village board colleagues and expressed support for the use of singe-space meters on Mamaroneck Avenue.
“If it were up to me, I’d abandon multi-space meters on [Mamaroneck Avenue] completely,” she said, adding that she will support whatever the committee recommends.
The choice between multi-space and singe-space meters has proven divisive throughout the past two years.
In 2014, $114,000 worth of multi-space meters were never installed on the avenue after residents criticized the devices’ need for automatic license plate reading technology that would have to be used by police while monitoring parking.
Many of those meters are now currently installed in parking lots adjacent to Mamaroneck Avenue.
According to Finch, despite backlash and the recommendation from the committee, he will vote based on what his Democratic constituents prefer.
“I’ll go with what the team decides,” he told the Review.
In a statement released last week, Potok, who is running for re-election this year, said, “My personal preferences will not dictate my position on which meters the village should install.”
Currently, there are a confirmed three members of the board who would not vote for multi-space meters, giving single-space ones a simple majority.
A poll which tested various types and brands of meters for three months recently concluded, but according to Village Manager Richard Slingerland, the data has not yet been compiled fully as of press time.
The test collected data on three different brands of single-space meters, including some that used sensor technology to judge when a space is empty and consequently reset the metered time, in addition to one brand of multi-space meters.
The parking committee plans to issue their recommendation to the Board of Trustees on which meters to install in November.
Potok could not be reached for comment as of press time.
