For years, a few Westporters suggested building a parking deck at the Baldwin lot.
For just as long, the idea was never considered seriously.
Between aesthetics and cost, plans for the land off Elm Street between the back of Brooks Corner and Christ & Holy Trinity Church have not gone anywhere.
Another reason: When people heard heard “deck,” they thought: “parking garage.”
A deck, however, is just that: one level, on top of the existing lot.
It is not a “parking garage,” with confusing entrances, exits and ramps.
Part of the Baldwin parking lot. It extends on the right side too.
Though the concept was included in Westport’s 2015 master plan, the Baldwin lot was eventually simply renovated. The project was completed in 2022, for $1.4 million.
Now though — as town officials, the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, merchants, restaurateurs, property owners, shoppers and residents wrangle over the reconstruction of Parker Harding Plaza, the reconfiguration of the Jesup Green area, and the future of the Imperial Avenue lot (along with environmental concerns, the role of commerce in Westport, and the political process undergirding all of the above) — more stakeholders are saying: You know, a parking deck at Baldwin isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Joe Vallone is one of those people.
Joe Vallone
A longtime Westporter, architect, real estate developer, and champion of urban renewal and historic preservation, he prepared a design at the request of Representative Town Meeting member Jennifer Johnson. It accommodates about 100 vehicles.
Elm Street sits about 21 feet above sea level, Vallone says. The proposed deck is 3 feet higher.
However, he says, “with a travel distance of over 100′ of length, the grade difference will be barely perceptible, meaning a relatively flat walkway from Elm Street to the deck.”
The lower deck ranges from an elevation of 10 to 11 feet. Vallone doubts any parking spaces there would be lost.
He envision an 8-foot wide walkway, and an 8-foot wide green space for large potted trees and planting areas. They would be well lit, and visible from Elm Street.
He also envisions a transparent pipe railing system, with built-in planting boxes.
Vallone was careful not to encroach on homes with backyards nearest to the existing lot.
Joe Vallone’s plan for the Baldwin parking lot.
Other developers might try to cram in 25 to 30 more spaces, Vallone says. However, that would feel “heavy-handed, cumbersome and surely raise the ire of neighbors.”
He believes his design solution is a “fairly simple build.” The only disruption to the existing lot might be the placement of new steel columns, which will need to be “carefully located in harmony with existing parking spaces.”
A storm water drainage connection from the new deck, and removal of several existing pole light fixtures, would also need to be addressed. These too are “not complicated issues.”
Vallone says the rule of thumb for elevated parking decks is about $25,000 to $30,000 per space. That works out to roughly $2.5 to $3.5 million for the entire structure. He doubts it would reach $4 million.
There is no need for much site excavation or an elevator. Opponents of a deck raised those issues earlier this year, when they cited a cost of $80 million to $100 million for a deck.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Weisman’s petition to place the downtown parking issue on the Representative Town Meeting agenda has gained nearly 200 signatures.
It notes: “A parking deck on the Baldwin lot will provide additional parking in an easily accessible location at affordable cost without the need to encroach upon the town green.”
After more than a decade of idle talk about a parking deck — something few Westporters took seriously — the idea no longer seems fanciful.
Now let’s see who drives it forward.
And who wants to apply the brakes.
(“o6880” drives local conversations. To help us do that, we need your support. Please click here to contribute. Thank you!)