The loss of the Brook Cafe parking lot to construction is causing problems for Starbucks customers.
Here’s how they solve it:
Drivers are parking on the grass. On Cedar Road. In the “No Parking” and handicapped zone crosswalk (not shown) on the side of the building.
Things were so much easier years ago, before this was a coffee shop.
Back then, it was Krazy Vin’s.
Westport’s only strip club.
One wonders why Westport’s parking police aren’t ticketing these violators since it’s so flagrant? Perhaps they should leave the Main Street area occasionally and see what’s happening elsewhere.
It appears to be private property.
It is private property, and the owner has put up “no parking” signs. He could have them towed, but that’s not great for customer relations.
I’ve attempted to turn into Cedar Road from the Post Road only to be stopped by a car that was parked in the roadway, blocking my way. THAT car should have been ticketed.
Just another case of Westport’s “Entitled Citizenry”
You wouldn’t want them to miss their double large Lattes
In Westport, there are lots of things that are “double size”; among the rpintable ones are egos and cars!
Have you seen the available parking spaces at the new building at The Brook?….Neither have I! Stay tuned.
I attended the P&Z meeting when parking for this new building was discussed. If I am not mistaken, the owner had a challenging parking situation himself and, due to the dimensions of the lot, there will be limited parking for the new building as well. I feel sorry for the owner because once his parking spaces are operational, he is going to have his hands full trying to keep Starbucks patrons from parking there. I bet his commercial tenants won’t have any available parking for their own customers. The Starbucks folks had been parking in that empty lot after The Brook collapsed, but then the owner put up fences so they could begin construction. That will be a hard habit to break once those new parking spots go in!
Exactly what I meant!!!
I own the little beige bungalow on Cedar Road that sits right behind Starbucks. I am a Realtor and this is an investment property for me. My very lovely tenant has told me that a few Starbuckians have actually had the audacity to park right in the little driveway we have in the front of the house. She also told me that what’s even worse is when the cars park on the street in front the house because it blocks her view as she is exiting the driveway. Cedar Road is a popular cut-through street and she is afraid that, as a car is racing down Cedar to make the traffic light at the Post Road [coming from Longs Lots] she’s not going to see it and get hit. Several owners on the street have approached the Planning & Zoning Board on this topic, to no avail. Honestly, in fairness to P&Z, I’m not sure what the solution would be. All I ask to the patrons of Starbucks, please consider the danger you may unintentionally be causing as you park on the street if front of the other houses. There are “No Parking” signs for safety reasons. If my tenant had not made me aware, I am not sure I would have considered the consequences of street parking myself.
Once again, it’s the responsibility of the Westport Police parking division to issue tickets when there’s a visible NO PARKING sign and cars are violating the law.
In fairness, the Westport Police Department is always extremely responsive to the pleas of the homeowners on Cedar Road. If someone calls about the parking they send an officer right over. Unfortunately, in most instances, when they arrive the Starbucks patron has already left and when that officer leaves, the next patron takes the spot. A while back they had a patrol car sitting across the street at the traffic light to try and deter speeding down Cedar (equally as problematic) in addition to the illegal parking. Tickets have been issued. The problem is that they would have to sit there 24/7 because Starbucks is one of Westport’s more popular destinations. The homeowners on the street have approached all relevant Town Officials and most have been responsive to the issue. Unfortunately, the real solution lies in the hands of Starbucks Management and its customers.
However the congestion has brought out the very best in people….
It is total blood sport!
Dan, I’d like to get back to the parking for the new building where the Brook Cafe was. Can ANYone imagine where even minimal parking will be? There’s no way to exit behind the building and nothing available on the side next to Subway’s building, so where will customers park? (You don’t build a building with no parking for employees, not to mention customers/clients, right?) And recently it looks as if there might be JUST enough room on the Cedar Street side to have parking on an angle to the building … but then one wonders if they will have to BACK OUT onto Cedar Street. I know that some homeowner on the street tried to see a site map of the property but it didn’t show parking. Is this an accident (or 20) waiting to happen? Dan, we hope you will please use your investigative skills to give us the answer!
Isn’t the business owner responsible for parking? Are there no bylaws?
Why should Dan figure this out? Go to your weekly council meetings! Speak with your elected representatives! Yikes!!!
Starbucks created quite an overflow onto the post road a week or so ago when an employee never showed up, slowing down service, which in turn created a traffic jam all the way down the post rd. i thought there was an accident on I95 only to find that it was the congestion from the starbucks lot. i went in to see if they were giving away something for free…lol…to find that they were short personnel that day. foolishly i waited in line for a latte, but then couldnt get out of the parking lot due to traffic jams on cedar rd b/c of the illegally parked cars blocking the flow of others entering or exiting.