Petition Opposes Parker Harding Plaza Renovation Proposal In Westport

WESTPORT, CT — A Change.org petition has been launched in opposition of proposed changes to downtown Westport's Parker Harding Plaza, plans that include eliminating the access road connecting Main Street and the Post Road.

The petition, "Opposition to Parker Harding Plaza Access Road & Parking Space Elimination Proposal," was started by resident Douglas Enslin. It calls on the Westport Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, which has proposed the renovation plan, "to propose a viable alternative that does not impose further burdens on the residents of Westport, visitors, and downtown business owners/employees."

Committee members proposed the plan, part of an overall revamping of the downtown area, in an effort to better utilize the waterfront along the Saugatuck River for pedestrians and to add green space.

In addition to eliminating the access road along the river, the petition also states that proposal would eliminate "forty-four parking spaces as part of a larger proposal to re-conceptualize and redesign" the plaza.

"If approved, this proposed plan will result in a dramatic increase in traffic throughout Westport and make finding Downtown parking more difficult," the petition reads.

As of late Thursday afternoon, the petition had garnered more than 660 signatures toward a goal of 1,000.

Earlier this week, several business owners voiced concerns over the proposal, primarily over the elimination of parking spaces, reported the Westport Journal.

Click here to view the Change.org petition.