Parking commission upholds ticket for Millport Avenue resident who parked on grass

At the September meeting of the New Canaan Parking Commission, commissioners voted to uphold a parking citation issued to Daphne LeGrand for parking on the grass at Millport Avenue. The commission said staff and police patrols have increased after multiple complaints about vehicles parking on the grass near Mill Pond and Millport Apartments. Daphne LeGrand appealed the citation by phone and said she has lived in the apartment complex for about 10 years and that other cars park in the same spot without being ticketed. "This is the first time that happened to me. I never heard about it," LeGrand said.

Stacy, a parking department staff member, told the commission that "parking on the grass ... is illegal," and that the town and police patrol the area because of repeated complaints from people who visit Mill Pond. Stacy said officers now tour the area more frequently and that vehicles that "jump a curb" to park on the grass are ticketed; she said others ticketed for the same violation had paid their fines. "If we see other vehicles there, we're not just gonna ticket one. We're gonna ticket everybody who is parked on the grass illegally," Stacy said.

Commissioners discussed whether additional signage or outreach to the property manager at Millport would be appropriate. One commissioner described the granite-curb and sidewalk configuration at the location as evidence the area is not a legal parking spot and suggested an unobtrusive sign could help prevent future incidents. Commissioners agreed staff should contact Westmount Management and the New Canaan Housing Authority to ask that managers communicate parking rules to residents and guests.

After discussion, the commission voted to uphold LeGrand's citation. The chair noted that while many people may have parked there previously without receiving tickets, the commission is enforcing existing rules in response to complaints and more frequent patrols. The decision stands as the commission's formal action on the appeal.

Background: The commission also handled another appeal for an individual who did not appear; commissioners followed their established procedure and upheld that ticket in the appellant's absence.

Next steps: Staff will notify LeGrand of the decision and will reach out to the property manager for Millport to request improved resident communication. The commission also discussed the possibility of a modest, unobtrusive sign near the curb and asked staff to check with public works about signage standards.