Common Grounds to Lose Parking on Veto Street

Think parking downtown is a problem? It just might get a little tighter after the voted to approve Shaun Heffernan’s request to designate a fire lane on the left side of Veto Street. 

Though Veto Street is commonly used a driveway for , and the newly opened (formerly Lookin’ Good) it is, in fact, a town road and not a driveway for the businesses. Currently there is a fire lane on the right side of the drive extending the length of the two buildings but Heffernan requested another fire lane be approved for the left side. Though the commission has passed the motion, the law will not be enforced until can post the appropriate signage. Once the fire lane is designated, the fine for parking in it will be $35.

Heffernan said, after spending some time on Veto Street for other matters, he noticed parking was an issue along the drive. “I wouldn’t have gotten an ambulance in there,” he commented, “never mind a ladder truck.” Heffernan explained that the rear of the Towers apartment building – Branford’s only high-rise apartment building – is accessed through the back parking lot of the area businesses and Veto Street needs to be open.

Wilson Jara, owner of Common Grounds said, “We support the decision of the police because it was getting out of hand.” He noted that his customers come and go fairly quickly so he doesn’t foresee the loss of three spaces, which weren’t really supposed to be spaces anyway, as a huge issue. He noted the parking across the street in the municipal lots next to the as a good alternative for parkers.

Behind Common Grounds are six spots with no time limit and two that are 20-minute spaces. There is also more than 20 spots in the neighboring parking lot behind Foe. There is also another municipal lot in the back if you follow Veto Street through the parking lot and to Hillside Avenue.