Longtime Westport residents Mike Nayor and Larry Weisman sent this letter to all Representative Town Meeting members:
You will shortly be debating the pros and cons of Jesup Green/downtown parking that have the potential for transforming downtown Westport.
Parker Harding is the linchpin. It needs a makeover to become more attractive, pleasant and inviting, and more riverfront oriented.
In a September “Opinion” piece in”06880″ Robert Augustyn posed taking bold steps to reconfigure Parker Harding to an almost park-like setting, while adding retail space, plus a parking deck at the Baldwin lot to make up for lost PH spaces.
The column elicited 58 responses. There was overwhelming support for virtually all of his suggested changes. A few comments concerned potential flooding and cost, but the vast majority enthusiastically supported the idea of a parking facility.
Not one writer objected to the proposal.
Parker Harding Plaza (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
Historically, controversial changes/improvements undertaken in Westport have been hailed after the fact, and we are usually puzzled why any particular project was opposed in the first place. A parking deck can certainly be designed acceptable to all, to be integrated into its environment, with a low profile which does not mar the downtown skyline or hinder neighbors.
The need for contiguous parking at or very near store entrances has been pushed for decades. With the exception for handicapped parking, Westporters and visitors do not need curb-to-door access downtown. Witness the large number of cars parked at Gorham Island on weekends, creating a short walk to Main Street. Strolling pedestrians create a lingering and community atmosphere that benefits retailers.
A parking deck at the Baldwin lot alleviates the necessity for expanded Jesup Green parking. Therefore, the request for an appropriation of $630,000 should not be approved. Money could be far better spent to address other, more immediate downtown issues.
We urge RTM members to adopt this plan for downtown. The RTM should respond to the needs and desires of its residents. Improvements have been discussed and postponed for decades. The supposed urgency to get a spade in the ground now is not as important as getting it right. Poor choices now will have long term consequences.
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vote no on tbe parking deck . Not fair to tbe neighbors.
CAN I GET SOME AMENS !!!
We far prefer a Baldwin parking deck to destroying the green space at Jesup.
Joan Ryan
The few homes that abutt the Baldwin lot currently look down and across at cars in that lot. The view across the lot is off the back and a few fronts of downtown commercial buildings. Not exactly what most would consider attractive views.
Because the interior of the Baldwin lot is well below grade as seen from those homes or from Elm ave a new parking deck which only needs about a 10 -11 foot height to provide a 7 foot clear height for the cars that would park under the new deck the percieved obstruction a few like yourself are concerned about would not be really materialize. If you feel it might, take a visit to the entrance drive on Elm and look down into the existing lot and see how the lower area lends itself nicely to a deck.
Also consider a good well planned design for a deck can be landscaped with planters of species like small arbovitae and such as well as maybe a surface finish of brick appliques on the lower columns and low shielding around the perimeter to match something similar to Bedford square. This deck does not need to have an industrial look that some seem to envision.
When architectual renderings are done and provided for a project like this I and many others know the resulting deck will actually improve the look and feel of the Baldwin lot to neighbors and townspeople. The real WIN-WIN result will be providing a hundred additional parking spaces for Westports wonderful and popular downtown and preserve the open green space of Jesup Green that is now a town treasure. Everyone who is interested and cares about making a better more convienent parking solution and preserving a special place like the Jesup Green needs to send a strong messege to the RTM, DPIC and Town officials! Stop this runaway train before the foresight of a well executed overall parking solution now poorly offered up becomes tomorrow’s example of no 20/20 hindsight.
Agree 200% with this article. We are in “no-brainer” territory here.
One trip to Europe and one can see how reducing car presence IMPROVES the attractiveness of downtown spaces. Reducing parking in Parker Harding would likely INCREASE shopping traffic counter to concerns being raised.
Let’s put a single deck over Baldwin and green-up everywhere else 🙂
Michael and Larry,
Your party, The Coalition for Westport, tends to fall into the pro-developer, pro-density, pro-urbanist camp; everything is better if there’s more of it. And it’s bigger.
With respect to your present efforts to cram more automobiles into the heart of downtown, I think you may have overlooked something – perhaps because neither of you actually live there. Have you noticed the congestion? I have. At times, it’s pretty bad. I’ve also noticed the air pollution.
I’m completely cognizant of the parking Kabuki theater that has been playing out and personally think DPIC is way out of its depth. But, like many who are concerned about scale, character and quality of life in the downtown area, I’m not supportive of parking garages – especially next to residences as you both propose. That’s unkind and you know it.
I expect you both are thinking “but Morley, we’re not calling it a garage, we’re calling it a deck”. Right. I don’t care if you call it a petting zoo, I feel it has no place here.
At any rate, before considering more lavish, taxpayer financed infrastructure projects, how about attempting some practical thinking first? Brian Stern recently observed that, for some reason, the police department occupies a considerable number of parking spaces roughly adjacent to Jesup Green – but ALSO has a commodious, yet underused parking lot behind the police station. If we’re looking to recover a mere 40 parking spaces, why aren’t we looking at this situation? Are we so helpless and lazy that the only solution we can come up with – besides vandalizing our town green – involves millions of dollars, acres of concrete and the prospect of more congestion and pollution in the heart of downtown?
As you suggest, let’s take our time and get it right.
My expert view is that without vision, we are left with small minds trying to fill in the gaps. This does more harm than good. Downtown is not a catch phrase such as vitality or destination. It is a place where we have lived and loved for more than 50 years. Please dont ruin the vibe because your ego cant deal with reality. At this stage there is and are some who just cant admit that their ideas suck because of a lack of knowlage of the dynamics in play– such as history and continuity, public trust, private concerns over a promise of merchantability,.
I have seen with my own eyes a downtown continuously evolving for many many decades. The place has had the love sucked out of it more & more every year until the vampires begin to bleed from their eyes, that vibe they so wish to covet. They want to own it and put their name on it, to change it for no other reason than to fill the empty vessel that is their lost soul.
Step back my friends. Jesup shall remain!
Possibly, Parker Harding could be updated without losing one parking space.
As far as a deck is concerned we are still about a decade out from the being built.
I have foreseen the future in a visionary dream. I saw something wonderful.
Yes, yes, yes – absolutely – a deck at the Baldwin lot, as described, with low greenery, etc. BEST SOLUTION every single time it’s been suggested.
Is anybody who makes these decisions listening???
And what will the response be when the “deck” is filled to capacity more often than it’s not and at peak business hours?
Attorney Weisman’s petition requests the RTM to merely review the DPIC’s recommendations and explore all other viable alternatives prior to making an expensive ($630,000) likely determinitive decision that many residents object to. Although he and others favor constructing a parking deck on the Baldwin lot, that IS NOT part of his RTM petition – and it is just one potential option for the community to debate.
Other options, such as following the Downtown Master Plan’s recommendation to preferentially construct a parking deck behind the police station ONLY IF it is decided that a parking deck is desired, would be part of this discussion.
A singular confusion is if more parking is so critical for downtown’s Main Street merchants, why are the 20 Church Lane parking spots still being expunged to the primary benefit of those few businesses off Main Street? How is that fair, appropriate or equitable?
Perhaps the Farmer’s Market could move to Church Lane for those 4 Thursday hours. Or perhaps the Farmer’s Market could move to Jesup Green for those 4 hours with visitors using the Library parking lots (or public transportation) thereby freeing up the Imperial “parking lot” for the merchants’ employees once it is brought up to safety requirements.
AND since this entire enterprise is allegedly to help the downtown merchants succeed, why is it that those very merchants are not leading this discussion on how to best address THEIR needs?
The first step is for the RTM to reject this pending $630,000.00 appropriation, and to then approve Attorney Weisman’s request that the RTM get more involved in the evaluation of the DPIC’s recommendations AND EXPLORING ALL OTHER MEANINGFUL ALTERNATIVES.
There is zero downside to THIS – and its the direction that I believe their constituents want them to implement.
Dr J
Parking parking parking, cars cars cars…
Twenty years ago we had shuttles and we had affordable train tickets. Twenty five years ago we had an adorable trolley! To be blunt can we just shut up about the cars for ONE second?
I have now attended two seperate meetings where DPIC was asked by either the public or RTM if ANY consideration has been made to public transportation and how that may mitigate some of the issues without needing an ourobouros of more and more parking spots. The RTM transit committee not only suggested, but had already put in some of the legwork, for shuttles to help make a safe and convenient way for downtown employees to park a bit further away. DPIC told them “After all this is done, we will look into that” ARGh!! At the Jesup site visit, when I asked if any consideration to public transportation had been part of the design plan I was just given a flat “No”. This feels so backwards!!
We have HUGE developments going in everywhere. Will there be one more car on the road for every renter? We have tons of non-driving community members such as teens, elderly, and disabled, and low-income neighbors. Why are they treated as INVISIBLE in this planning process? We already have lots of employees along the Post Road businesses who take the Coastal Link and might benefit from further access to transport within town or to the train station.
Does anyone else remember those glorious months when Coastal Link was free because Covid was bad? Just me? Man I was bitter when that funding dried up.
How can we wax poetic on the need for more green space and saving trees etc and not be pushing for a movement AWAY from car dependence and TOWARDS real and green solutions like public transportation?
#SaveTheGreen. #SaveJesupGreen. #SaveJesupTrees.
and
#Make JesupGreenEvenMoreJesupGreen.
and
Jesup Green is to Westport what Central Park is to NYC.
and
Save Westport $160K — Do NOTHING to Jesup Green.
and
Best way to use $160K? Spruce up Jesup to make it even more GREEN.
Just a thought.
agree
The Downtown Westport Master Plan, June 4, 2015, is a superb document. It reflects vision and reality. Take a look again at that plan. A key thrust is to maximize the attractiveness of the Saugatuck River, both at Parker Harding and Jessup Green. Those need to be the key drivers, with additional or replacement parking secondary. This week the RTM needs to vote to get the Town back on the right direction. Paving a large area of Jessup Green is the wrong approach. Attention should be given to the Police Station and a parking deck. The RTM should not vote simply to let a large amount of Federal funds be spent for further study. The goals are clear. Vision, leadership and money are want are needed. Consideration could also be given to pickle ball courts on the Imperial Avenue lot and a new ballfield in the lower right corner of Baron’s South, just above Imperial Avenue.
Don Bergmann
Additional or replacement parking secondary ?
Is that so the merchants can go bankrupt ?
I would say on the contrary, no parking must be taken away before parking is added.
Jesup green is not an option as far as I am concerned BUT equally there’s absolutely no need for any added green space on either Parker Harding- which the merchants built and paid 80% of !!!!! And there’s no need for added green space on jesup !
Are you trying to force merchants out of business, for green space. Because I suggest you are in a monstrous minority there.
Or maybe you expect us to limp along making no money while our customers and staff can find no parking. And nobody uses any of the green space.. it’s ludicrous !
If the merchants in the 1950’s had not needed parking for customers and if the merchants had not been willing to pay 80% of the bill for the build Parker Harding would not exist today.. none of it.hailed by Emerson Parker at the time our first selectman as a “freebie” for town residents. . every square inch of it was reclaimed using fill from I95, and paid for predominantly by the merchants !
At the time Westport had far far fewer businesses and had a population of 11k people – now 28,000.
YOU ARE WELCOME BY THE WAY.
Hardly time to remove parking. Certainly not without merchant approval !
Please also remember who it is pays the entirety of the downtown property tax bill, yup the MERCHANTS !
If you want green space there’s riverside park and many many others… or go to the beach. Or enjoy the beautiful jesup green before the administration tears it asunder for library, levity and farmers market parking.
Don did you not know this history ? Or are you just choosing to ignore it.
Most of us do not feel a parking deck is needed or wanted. Have tve employees who work in tve shops park their cars behind tbe police station . Duybtve weekday their are plenty of empty spaces avail for shoppers. The only time their are parking issues is during holidays and sales. A little walk is good for everyone. If you feel t need for more parking , use the area near the police station. I would line to keep our town as country as possible.
Add no green space to Parker Harding and this whole thing goes away.
No cake and eat it.
Leave Parker Harding as is … a parking lot the merchants already built and paid for.
And leave jesup green alone.
Build the parking garage leave our green space alone!