I am a long time resident of Roslyn and often shop, dine and go to the movies in town. My sister is a small shop owner in another town, so I am very aware of how important it is for a community to keep the local business thriving.
I also enjoy shopping from store owners who too choose to live in Roslyn and are my neighbors. I needed to buy a gift this week and headed straight to town as I often do. Upon returning to my car, I was shocked and angry to see a ticket on my car for parking outside the lines.
After getting a ticket for this ridiculous and insignificant “offense,” I question if it is worth doing anything in town anymore.
Several of my friends have had similar experiences and many spend much less time in town than they used to – all because parking has become such an annoyance. There are many other choices to shop and dine, all without parking expenses, tickets and hassles.
An article titled “Village of Roslyn Merchants Say Parking Policy Hurts Business” appeared last summer in print and online. Here are some quotes from that article that offer the storeowners’ perspective:
“I would say our sales are down 10 percent year over year and most of it’s pretty much because of parking,” said one business owner, who like many requested anonymity.”
“Municipalities need to be extra consumer-friendly, another said.”
Internet shopping has also taken away so much business, so making it difficult to park makes it worse.
I am also in an orthopedic large heavy boot, but because I pride myself on being a law-abiding community member, rather than disobey parking regulations, I limped to the meter and back to my car. It was difficult and painful which compounded my dismay by the ticket, for what seems like a most minor infraction – I was barely outside the line.
I was in the store for a very short time and do think the parking officer was still in the area. Perhaps he could have written a warning, or if he had seen me, could have asked me to move slightly closer to the sidewalk.
I have noticed that most SUVs do extend slightly beyond the parking lines on the street. With many families now driving an SUV, maybe an accommodation can be made. Most of us want to continue spending time in our town, but we are being pushed out. We would welcome and appreciate the village acknowledging and acting to improve this situation.
I – and I think many local residents and business-owners share my opinion – feel that it is time to put parking violations into perspective and to act before Roslyn village businesses lose more than they already have.
Jill Barry
Roslyn Heights
