Commission declines physical expansion of Center School lot, urges management fixes

The New Canaan Planning and Zoning Commission voted Jan. 27 not to expand the Center School municipal parking lot and instead urged the town to implement parking-management measures recommended in a professional study.

Town planner Sarah said the study was required by the 2021 memorandum of understanding between the town and the New Canaan Library. Greg Del Rio, P.E., of Hardisty & Hanover presented field observations and license-plate data collected over two days, including one ‘special-event’ weekday. He reported a total shared supply of 172 spaces (including 92 municipal spaces and library-designated spaces) and said the lot reached near-100% total occupancy for about a half-hour on the special-event day (roughly 10:30–11:00 a.m.). Outside that short peak, the lot’s utilization remained below commonly used design thresholds.

Del Rio told commissioners the study’s recommendations focus on low-cost management steps: stagger programming to avoid event overlap, add pavement markings and signage to clearly identify library spaces (including at the St. A’s lot), monitor and enforce extended stays, and reallocate or better educate permit holders. Ellen Corvado of the library said the special-event weekday used in the study was exceptional and that the library already considers staggering programming.

On a motion by Commissioner Chris Herring, seconded by Commissioner Cruz, the commission voted unanimously to forgo physical expansion at this time and to forward the study’s recommendations to the first selectman and the parking department for implementation and monitoring.