Glens Falls board recommends no-parking restrictions on parts of Webster Avenue after resident safety complaints

The Glens Falls Board of Public Safety voted to forward a recommendation to the Common Council to enact no-parking restrictions on portions of Webster Avenue, citing safety concerns for residents and emergency vehicles.

Residents told the board that recent street reconstruction narrowed travel lanes and removed on-street parking, leaving some homeowners without convenient access. "I think the city owes these people money," said Joe Wagner, a Webster Avenue resident, describing the loss of parking and irregular sidewalks after the project. Other commenters said the changes made the street more dangerous for drivers and pedestrians.

At the public comment period, Dawn Duval read a letter from Megan McDavid describing how newly painted yellow lines removed needed parking for households without driveways and urging alternatives such as resident-only permits or designated parking zones. Business owner Sean Haslett, whose restaurant staff face two-hour limits downtown, also said employees and customers are affected by parking changes.

Board members and the mayor reviewed the history of parking rules in Glens Falls, noting a citywide two-hour downtown-parking regulation in place for decades and earlier engineer recommendations to add bike lanes to slow traffic. The mayor told the board that prior parking committees had dissolved amid disagreement and that safety — including the ability of pumper trucks and ambulances to pass on narrow streets — guided the board—s recommendation.

Dan Rice, a resident who asked the board to table the item so neighbors could seek adjustments, said residents were concerned they would lose the ability to park in front of their homes. The board acknowledged competing interests between homeowners and businesses but said its role is limited to making public-safety recommendations to the council.

The adopted resolution asks the Common Council to enact no-parking restrictions on the north side of Webster Avenue from Bay Street to Edison and on the south side from Bay Street to the cemetery, "due to safety concerns by the Glens Falls Police Department and local residents," as stated in the board motion.

The Common Council will consider the board—s recommendation; the board noted implementation could include further public discussion and that enforcement and signage must match code.

Provenance: Topic introduced during public comment (Joe Wagner) at 00:06:03; discussion and motion to recommend no-parking concluded at 00:40:12.