After an open public discussion at the July 27 council meeting, the Guttenberg Town Council passed an ordinance to institute metered parking on both sides of John F. Kennedy Boulevard East, from the southern limits of the town to the northern border.
Several residents spoke up in opposition, claiming that parking meters were “esthetically unpleasing” and would downgrade the look of the municipality.
“It’s going to look like some horrible place in Queens,” lamented resident Maureen Foyle. “Our town is not like that. Our town is a beautiful place. It has views. It has pride.”
Mayor Gerald Drasheff explained at the meeting that individual parking meters would not be installed. “Our plan is to go with the type of parking you see in most towns where there are one or two machines,” he said. “We don’t plan on putting meters on Boulevard East.”
Ordinance #06-15 passed by a vote of four to one, with Councilman Alfonso Caso casting the sole vote against it. Voting in favor were Drasheff and Council Members Monica Fundora, John Habermann, and Efrain Velez. Councilwoman Donna Florio was not present for the vote.
Afterward Caso explained that he voted against the proposal “because we’d be the only town in Hudson County that has parking meters on the Boulevard. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“But we are different,” countered Drasheff. “If you drive up and down the Boulevard, we are really the only town, as small as we are, that has a commercial presence on the Boulevard.”
“If you drive up and down the Boulevard, we are really the only town, as small as we are, that has a commercial presence on the Boulevard.” –Mayor Gerald Drasheff
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Double whammy
Currently there is a four-hour limit on parking along Boulevard East for those without resident stickers.
“One of the things we’ve found is that half the cars that are parking on the Boulevard are not resident parkers,” said Drasheff. “They don’t have stickers at all. Some are people who are parking and going into New York, taking a chance that we won’t give them a ticket even though we have the four-hour limit.”
Elayna Center, a 34-year resident of the Galaxy and a realtor in the area for 24 years, objected strongly to the proposal. “I almost feel like those of us who live on Boulevard East are now being penalized because of a successful restaurant,” she said, referring to the popular Rumba Cubana. “When my friends came to visit me at home, when my relatives came to visit, they could park in the street for free.”
The town has estimated an annual income of $70,000 from the new meters, exclusive of parking tickets.
Foyle, a 30-year resident of the Galaxy, suggested that instead of metering the Boulevard the town could purchase property nearby and create a parking garage.
“We’ve looked at that,” explained Drasheff, noting that the town would not only have to purchase the property and build and maintain the garage, but it would lose the tax ratable. “It’s a double whammy.”
In response to Foyle’s comment that other towns had built garages, he pointed out, “Other towns have a lot more land. You don’t see many garages being built in close proximity to Boulevard East. That’s the most expensive property in Hudson County.”
Like Manhattan
Herbert Gettelson, a 22-year resident of the Galaxy, spoke briefly at the meeting and was of two minds about the proposal. “There’s something about meters on a street that makes it look very commercial,” he said. “I think it takes away from the value of the property. But then I think about Manhattan and I know there are some very expensive high-rises that have parking meters. So there goes that argument.”
“There are a number of people that would like to believe that this is a suburban area and it’s not,” he continued. “We’re in an urban area. And if our property values go anywhere near what’s happening in Manhattan I’d be delighted. I’m not at all opposed to progress. People need to come to terms with that. And if they can’t, they have to move. It’s that simple.”
“We are like Manhattan,” said Drasheff. “We’re a densely populated city, and these kind of things come with that.”
The town is looking into the various types of meter machines available. Metering is not expected to be in place on Boulevard East before the fall.
Changes to meter hours of operation
Also on the agenda for the July 27 meeting was the introduction of a new ordinance amending the time limits on all metered parking in town, including Boulevard East.
Currently time limits vary from day to day at the meters. On some days the meters require quarters until 9 p.m., while other days are different. The new ordinance will establish uniform meter operating hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Saturday at all metered spots.
Residents with stickers will have a morning grace period from 7 to 10 a.m. when they can park at the meter without paying, and in the evenings from 8 to 10 p.m. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyone is required to feed the meter, regardless of whether or not they have a resident sticker.
“There’s never been a grace period at night,” said Drasheff. “Now if residents with stickers come home from work late and can’t get a spot on your block, they can park on Bergenline Avenue after 8 and not have to pay the meter.”
The public hearing on the new ordinance will be at the next Town Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Town Hall, 6808 Park Ave. Residents are welcome to attend and share their comments on the proposed ordinance.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.