Ridgefield Selectpersons Delay Decision On Proposed Paid Parking Pilot

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Selectpersons on May 20 delayed action on a proposed paid parking pilot program after board members raised concerns about expanding paid parking downtown and the potential impact on workers and local businesses.

The proposal, presented by Parking Authority Chair Marcus Recck, would introduce the ParkMobile app in two areas: the final row of the Bailey Avenue municipal lot and the Branchville train station parking lot.

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Recck said the proposal is intended to modernize the town’s parking system while providing longer-term parking options for visitors who need more than the existing two-hour limit in parts of downtown.

“We have an opportunity to … displace an antiquated system, and to add a little bit more convenience for those who are here for extended periods of time,” Recck told selectpersons.

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Under the proposal, drivers would use the ParkMobile smartphone app or a text-based payment option to pay for designated spaces. Enforcement officers would verify payment through handheld devices linked to vehicle license plates.

Recck said the system is already used in other Connecticut communities, including New Canaan, and would not require upfront costs from the town because ParkMobile would provide signage and related infrastructure.

The Bailey Avenue portion of the proposal drew the most discussion. Recck said the parking authority previously reduced some spaces there from three-hour to two-hour parking to increase turnover and discourage restaurant and retail employees from repeatedly moving their vehicles to avoid tickets.

He said the paid spaces could instead provide a legal option for customers needing longer visits for services such as salon appointments or extended shopping trips.

"I have had complaints from people, specifically the hairdressers, that have said their clients come here, they have three hours, they pay a lot of money, and they walk out and have a ticket on their car," First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.

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Several officials, however, questioned whether the pilot could lead to broader paid parking throughout downtown Ridgefield. Selectperson Sean Connelly warned that workers earning modest wages might ultimately feel hammered by the burden of parking fees.

Recck pushed back on that characterization.

“That wasn’t our intention,” he said. “Our intention is to solve the three hour, four hour problem.”

Selectperson Maureen Kozlark said she understood the logic behind using the system at the Branchville station, where paid parking already exists, but expressed reservations about introducing paid parking in the downtown municipal lot.

“When I first was reading through this … I was thinking I didn’t want Ridgefield to start charging parking spots,” Kozlark said.

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Marconi and other board members ultimately agreed to postpone any decision and place the matter on a future agenda for additional public discussion and research.

Selectperson Barbara Manners said she wanted more information about how similar communities have handled comparable programs and whether local business owners support the idea.

“I would like to see what the experience has been in New Canaan, which is comparable to Ridgefield in many respects,” Manners said. “What I’d love to know [is] what store owners feel — what the shop owners feel.”

The proposal is expected to return to the Board of Selectpersons for further discussion at a future meeting.