New Canaan to repave and reconfigure Park Street and Playhouse lots; total spaces to fall by 22
Loading...
Summary
Town officials presented a plan to repave and restripe the Park Street and Playhouse parking lots to meet accessibility and circulation standards. The redesign will reduce total spaces from 179 to 157 but add accessible spaces and wider aisles; the plan goes to Planning & Zoning for review before construction.
The New Canaan Parking Commission on June 16 heard detailed plans from town public works staff to repave and reconfigure the Park Street and Playhouse parking lots this summer and early fall, a project that will reduce the two lots’ combined spaces by 22 but add accessible parking and wider driving aisles.
Town Director of Public Works TigerMan presented the proposal alongside town engineer Marie Kopllet, saying the work would be coordinated with a new ramp from the Playhouse lot down to Upper Elm Street to improve pedestrian access and reduce curbside loading on Elm Street. "We are planning on repaving both the Playhouse lot and the Park Street lot, later on this summer, early fall, in conjunction with the work that we plan on the ramp," TigerMan said.
The commission was shown drawings and counts: the Park Street lot now has 124 spaces and the Playhouse lot 55; the proposed layout would reduce Park Street to 111 and Playhouse to 46, for a combined 157 spaces (a net loss of 22). The plan calls for 9-by-18-foot standard parking spaces (9-by-20 is the non‑village standard), 24-foot aisles to permit two-way circulation, and two additional accessible spaces near the Playhouse leading to the new ramp. "We have a 111 spaces proposed for the Park Street Lot and 46 for the Playhouse Lot ... both lots will be compliant from an accessibility standpoint," Kopllet said.
The design will reconfigure a compact-car row into standard 9-by-18 spaces, relocate dumpsters and the compactor into a screened, embanked enclosure behind a stone wall, and move or tweak an existing stair/ramp alignment to make the top of the LA and ramp more welcoming. Staff said the hashed area behind the Playhouse will provide turning room for delivery vehicles and that one drive aisle will be widened locally to 28 feet to accommodate truck turning movements.
Commissioners pressed staff on truck turning and queuing: whether larger delivery trucks could enter without crossing into oncoming traffic, and whether delivery vehicles could block accessible spaces. Kopllet acknowledged some turning movements will remain tight and said enforcement and signage would be needed to manage truck behavior. "There are going to have to be some enforcement to try to train this new delivery area," she said. Staff also said many deliveries occur in early morning hours when parking demand is lower.
Commissioners discussed the ramp and two staircases that connect the Playhouse lot to the Elm Street area. Staff said they may remove one stair if the iron mics/other constraints allow restoring the embankment and planting; they will monitor desire lines (where people actually walk) and can relocate the mid‑lot stair to a more visible location if necessary.
Staff said they will seek Planning & Zoning review (an "8-24" style review and specific village-district review under village guidelines §6.2) to confirm the reduction to 9-by-18 spaces is permitted. TigerMan told the commission staff will present the proposal to Planning & Zoning next month and then return to the Parking Commission with any required changes and a final construction schedule. "Next month, we're gonna look to go to P&Z, and then we'll come back to the commission to give a recap of what the commission found," he said.
On timing, staff said the ramp and stair work will come first; paving and restriping of the lots will follow. Bids are pending; staff said the goal is to start work after the town sidewalk sale and complete lot paving in late September or early October, with the contractor season running through Dec. 15 if necessary. After paving, staff said they typically wait about a week before striping to allow oils to dissipate.
Discussion versus decision: the meeting record shows only review and direction to pursue P&Z review; no final commission vote to authorize construction was taken. Staff will return with P&Z feedback and a permit/bid‑ready design.
Proper names in the discussion included the Park Street lot, the Playhouse lot, Morse Court, Elm Street, Town Hall annex (the former teen center), and the White Buffalo (near the stairway). Planning references included "village guidelines section 6.2" and an 8‑24 style review to Planning & Zoning.
Next steps: staff will bring the plan to Planning & Zoning, return to the Parking Commission with any required revisions, and refine the construction schedule once bids are returned.
