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Parking Commission hears plan to mill, pave and restripe Playhouse and Park Street lots; project will remove trees and reduce about 20 spaces
Summary
The commission received a timeline and site plan for milling, paving and restriping the Playhouse and Park Street lots; work will proceed one lot at a time starting mid-April, will remove trees and an estimated 20—21 spaces, and will keep pedestrian access and kiosks managed during construction.
Tiger, the project presenter, told the New Canaan Parking Commission on April 1 that the Playhouse and Park Street lots will undergo preliminary site work followed by milling, paving and restriping under a plan previously approved by Planning & Zoning.
The presentation described preparatory work (embankment work, tree removals and small expansions), then a milling and paving contractor coming in to repave each lot. "We're looking at getting in there around April 15th, May 1st starting to pave, May 15th being done," Tiger said, while noting those dates are estimates.
Why it matters: the commission will work on one lot at a time to limit disruption. Tiger said the Playhouse lot will be done first because it is smaller and town-hall employees can be relocated temporarily to the Historical Society to free spaces. During Park Street work, kiosks will be bagged and the town will waive on-street parking fees (time limits remain enforced), an operational change intended to reduce hardship for visitors.
Commissioners pressed staff on concrete impacts. Commissioner Gerace asked for numbers; Tiger said the redesign reduces "basically um yeah, so 20—21" spaces. Commissioners and staff spent time confirming circulation patterns on the plan (which aisles remain bi-directional, which are one-way) and that the drawing presented to the commission matches the layout previously approved by Planning & Zoning.
Accessibility and pedestrian safety were addressed: the ramp by the stairs is open and the ramp railing is expected to be installed within about a week, Tiger said. The plan includes a five-foot striped accessible route through the Playhouse lot; the commission agreed pedestrian access would be maintained during construction with flaggers on site when needed.
Landscape changes: Tiger said several trees and one telephone pole located in areas to be paved will have to be removed; staff plan to retain a stone-wall buffer where possible and to replant/rescreen after construction. Tiger said any area not needing paving will not be paved simply to preserve future maintenance and plowing ability.
Kiosk, signing and communications: commissioners raised recurring confusion about patrons entering a painted stall number instead of their license plate at kiosks. Tiger said the town will issue parking alerts and a press release when work is complete to remind users to enter their license plate numbers at kiosks and that some old painted numbers will be blacked out to reduce confusion. He also confirmed the final striping will be white paint and that hashed areas shown in the plan indicate spaces that will not be parked on.
What happens next: staff said preliminary work could start in roughly two weeks, with paving to follow; exact dates will vary with contractor availability and weather. The commission did not take a formal vote on the project during this meeting; staff will return with updates as construction dates firm up.
