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Commission upholds two Town Hall parking tickets for resident who said she misunderstood rules
Summary
The commission denied an appeal by Karen Gallagher, who received two tickets for parking in a Town Hall lot and exceeding a one-hour limit; commissioners cited posted signage and evidence the vehicle remained beyond the permitted time.
The New Canaan Parking Commission voted to uphold two parking citations issued to a resident who said she parked briefly at Town Hall without realizing enforcement was active.
Karen Gallagher told the commission she had regularly parked in the Town Hall lot in summer and did not expect to be ticketed. “I wasn’t aware that you guys ticket during the summer in Town Hall,” Gallagher said during her appeal. She asked the commission to drop one ticket because she was surprised to receive two.
A parking enforcement officer testified that he observed Gallagher’s vehicle enter the Town Hall lot at roughly 12:53 p.m., that she left the car and walked away while on a cell phone, and that the car remained beyond the posted one-hour limit. The officer said the overtime citation reflected approximately 11 minutes over the hour. He also noted signs marking the lot for “Town Hall business only.”
Commissioners said the record showed Gallagher did not come to Town Hall to conduct Town Hall business and that the vehicle remained longer than the permitted time. Marley recused herself from the appeal; two commissioners voted to uphold both citations and explained they considered this a clear example of an enforcement violation rather than an ambiguous case.
The commission encouraged Gallagher to use other municipal lots or street parking and said enforcement intent is to keep Town Hall spaces available for people conducting town business. Staff said they will send the decision to Gallagher and that the penalties will stand.
The hearing record included: Gallagher’s testimony about unfamiliarity with the lot’s rules, the officer’s timeline and a note that the lot signage designates Town Hall parking only.
