New Piermont Rules To Limit Out-Of-Towners During Pandemic

PIERMONT, NY — Nice weather made Piermont a social-distancing nightmare Sunday as out-of-towners looking for a place to stretch their legs invaded the small, picturesque village on bicycles and by car. Many weren't observing social-distancing rules, many weren't wearing masks, and all were clogging local roads to epic levels, residents complained.

In response, village officials took emergency steps, which went into effect Tuesday, to limit the number of visitors at a time to the Hudson River community.

The following parking lots will be closed to all vehicles at all times unless they have a Piermont Parking Permit:

• The “River Lot” – (Parking lot next to Parelli Park – across from the Firehouse)
• Parking Lot “D”
• Spruce Street Lot – Next to the Yuda Condominums

In addition, there will be no parking allowed on the following streets:

• Piermont Avenue from Kinney Street to Gair Street
• Ferdon Avenue from Rockland Road to Paradise Avenue

Any automobiles found to be in violation of these parking restrictions will be ticketed, and risk getting their cars towed, Mayor Bruce Tucker said. "The rationale for restricting parking is to make sure there is unimpeded access for emergency vehicles, and to ensure EMS and Fire Equipment are not delayed in a medical emergency during a public health crisis. The number of vehicles clogging our street circling and looking for overtaxed parking facilities is something that we will try to remedy with these new restrictions."

The Piermont Police Department is also scheduling additional officers on patrol over the weekends.

Piermont had already closed the open spaces in the village, including the Piermont Pier and the Erie Trail.

"I am in touch with County Executive Ed Day who has indicated a desire to reopen the County Parks by the end of the month," Tucker said. "Should the County and Orangetown reopen their Parks, the Board will reopen the Piermont Village Parks. Until then, our Parks would just be a magnet attracting even more visitors to Piermont. We continue to ask that all Piermonters respect the closure of our Parks, including those residents who live along the Erie Trail. Anybody caught on the Erie Trail is trespassing."

One of the problems is that New Jersey parks are closed due to the new coronavirus outbreak, but New York state parks including Tallman Mountain are open.

(Due to complaints about crowds and lack of social distancing, state officials had already closed three of New York's parks in the county: Rockland Lake, Nyack Beach and Hook Mountain. SEE: Coronavirus: New York Closes 3 Parks In Rockland County.)

One resident called the situation "a zoo" on Facebook, noting the New Jersey license plates on cars backed up on Route 9W.

Another resident reported that not all of them were out of towners, and not all the neighbors were friendly, describing a confrontation with a bicyclist who profanely objected to being asked to wear a mask.