Port Jefferson trustees adopt three local laws on parking, school pickup and holiday noise

Port Jefferson’s Village Board voted July 30 to adopt three local ordinances intended to reduce public‑safety and quality‑of‑life problems in neighborhoods and near the high school. The measures—banning parking on Midland Avenue, prohibiting stopping and standing at the Old Post Road/Dark Hollow intersection used for school drop‑off, and extending Friday/Saturday noise restrictions to federal holidays—passed after public hearings and trustee discussion.

The trustees opened the first public hearing on a proposed amendment to Chapter 245 to prohibit parking on both sides of Midland Avenue and heard mixed public comment. Several residents, including Alexis Nent, described chronic late‑night activity at a single address on the block and said that while safety and emergency‑access concerns are real, a blanket ban would penalize neighbors who rely on on‑street parking. “There’s one bad neighbor out of the 13 houses on the block,” Nent said, urging targeted enforcement rather than a streetwide prohibition. Other neighbors, including long‑time resident Terry Woodard, said the narrow dead‑end street is at risk for emergency access problems and noted a March shooting in the block’s recent history. After trustee discussion and outreach reported by Trustee Kyle, the board closed public comment and carried the motion to adopt the local law.

On the second hearing, trustees cited observations from code enforcement and school staff that vehicles lining up on both sides of Old Post Road at the high‑school drop‑off created a narrow through lane and pedestrian hazards. Marilyn Ramirez Damascow of the Port Jefferson Civic Association told the board the association supports the restriction as a pedestrian‑safety measure. The adopted change to Chapter 245 prohibits stopping and standing on the southeast corner of Old Post Road and Dark Hollow Road, described in the ordinance as the stretch 150 feet south of the corner, and trustees said signage will be used to clarify limits.

The board also adopted a noise ordinance amendment to Chapter 173 that adds federal holidays to existing Friday and Saturday noise restrictions (7:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. as codified). Trustee Kyle said the change grew from a Memorial Day complaint in which code enforcement determined holidays were not covered by the existing weekend standard. The amendment makes enforcement of amplified‑sound limits consistent across typical weekend and federal holiday schedules.

Each of the three measures was introduced, opened for public comment as required, and adopted by majority vote. Several trustees and staff emphasized the village will use enforcement discretion for temporary events and can reverse or amend a restriction if it proves ineffective. The board also encouraged clear signage and communication with residents and the school district to clarify how the new measures will be applied.