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Alders advance residential-parking request after neighbors report long-term airport parking on Hyde and Fort Hill streets
Summary
A New Haven aldermanic committee agreed to move a request for a residential-parking zone forward after residents near Tweed Airport described vehicles left for days, safety concerns and enforcement limits under a 72-hour ordinance.
Residents near Tweed Airport pressed the Board of Alders committee Wednesday to approve a residential-parking zone for Hyde Street and nearby blocks, saying nonlocal motorists are leaving cars for days and creating safety and snow-removal problems.
Jessica Camando, a Hyde Street resident, told the committee she and her husband have lived on the street seven years and "we have counted over a dozen" cars that remained in front of homes since the start of the year. Camando said drivers ring residents' doorbells to ask to park or to ask them to watch cars, and described the experience as "extremely unnerving" when she walks alone early in the morning.
The request follows similar public testimony at last month's meeting, committee members said. Lynn Sydrella and Carolyn Roskowski, who live on Fort Hill Road and nearby intersections, described aggressive approaches from motorists and repeated use of residential blocks by airport drivers who avoid airport lots.
Committee members noted the city has an ordinance that allows a car to remain parked for 72 hours only after police place a notice on the vehicle, and that enforcement resources are limited. The chair said the committee will move the item forward to a formal vote by the full Board of Alders in August because the full board meets monthly during the summer.
During discussion, several alder members said the problem may affect multiple streets and suggested the transportation, traffic and parking director be asked to study whether a larger residential-parking zone should be created for the area around Tweed Airport. Alder comments emphasized safety concerns, snow-removal impacts when cars block plowing during parking bans, and the burden on residents to monitor or call police when cars remain for days.
The committee voted to move the item forward; the chair made the motion and it was seconded. The committee recorded the outcome as approved and noted the final vote will occur before the full Board of Alders in August.
The committee hearing included direct public comment and committee discussion; no ordinance text was adopted at the committee level on Wednesday, and the full board will consider the measure in a future meeting.
