Park this alternate side plan.
Community Board 10’s municipal services committee curbed a proposal calling for Saturday alternate side parking on Bruckner Boulevard that would in effect deter illegal overnight truck parking.
It rejected the plan which would cover the boulevard along Pelham Bay Park, from Wilkinson Avenue to Middletown Road, at its Tuesday, Sept. 11 meeting.
Besides cleaner streets, the proposal would have discouraged overnight parking by 18-wheelers by imposing no parking regs between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Neighbors nix plan
It was tabled after representatives of the Spencer Estate Civic Association and Country Club Civic Association expressed concerns.
“They were concerned about losing parking spaces,” said Board 10 district manager Kenneth Kearns. “I really don’t know if they would consider it again under a separate set of circumstances.”
While the streets are cleaned routinely, mechanical brooms are often blocked from curblines because 18-wheeler trucks routinely park there overnight in violation of city laws, said Kearns.
According to meeting minutes, residents expressed concern that the alternate side parking could force motorists to park on the densely populated other side of Bruckner Boulevard, hinder the passage of fire trucks, force owners to get up on Saturday morning to move their cars.
Visitors to Pelham Bay Park would also have to give up parking spaces temporarily in an area already short of parking.
Also, the proposal itself was unnecessary because Board 10 is the second cleanest board in the borough.
Chairman supports it
Board 10 chairman John Marano said that the alternate side plan could be helpful in a number of ways, including keeping the area clean for the large number of summertime park visitors, and discouraging overnight truck parking – a perennial issue at that location.
“There are reasons why we believe it could work,” said Marano. “I just feel that maybe it was not explained correctly, or misunderstood.”
Patrick Rocchio can be reach via e-mail at procchio@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3393
