The town/village of Harrison approved measures on July 21 to decrease the size of municipal parking spaces throughout the town in an effort to better accommodate drivers and increase the amount of spaces, according to the mayor.
Under the newly amended provision, the town will decrease the length of all municipal parking spaces by 1 foot. The amended law also mandates the town to develop future parking spaces and aisles a foot shorter as well.
Currently, parallel parking stalls are 23 feet in length; 45-degree angular parking stalls are 19 feet; and 90-degree perpendicular spaces are 19 feet. The width of all parking spaces will remain 9 feet.
Any parking spaces on private property would not be affected by the new law.
Despite the sudden change, however, town officials explained that it was only a matter of time before the lengths of parking spaces were adjusted, even with virtually no complaints from residents about the size of stalls.
“There’s no reason to have parking spaces the length that they are,” said Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican.
Belmont explained that cars are no longer produced the same size as they were in the late 1960s through the 1970s, and newer models are actually designed to be smaller and more compact. “Since people are driving smaller cars now, we want to try to accommodate them as much as possible,” he said.
He said the provision, although it seeks to increases the amount of available spaces at the town’s disposal, will have a positive impact on drivers seeking to enter and exit angled or perpendicular parking spaces, as it will prevent people from being forced to make a K-turn.
However, according to Councilwoman Marlene Amelio, a Republican, it is reasonable for residents to be upset with the change.
“I can’t blame people for feeling squished, [as] nobody likes to park in tight spaces,” she said about parallel parking spaces.
The amended law also comes just in time for new developments, specifically within the Purchase hamlet of the town. According to Belmont, a new 85,000-square-foot, four-story medical office building is planned to be built on 3030 Westchester Ave. as an addition to the Harrison Executive Medical Park, as of press time.
The four-story medical addition—which will be developed by Simone Development Companies—will feature an underground parking lot subject to new parking space requirements.
There is no timetable for when parking spaces will be restriped and how much it will cost the town, as of press time.
