Main Street is Changing. An Open and Honest Discussion

Main Street is changing right before our eyes and there is much more to come- if you’re even briefly paying attention -you know this too.  Over the past few years there have been newly added housing units at the North end of Main Street where Danbury Road meets Main Street. To the south side near the Community Center we’ve seen an expansion of the Aldrich Museum.  What’s happened in between will continue to evolve and positively I’m sure.

Now we have more projects that will impact the center of town with the inclusion of a new library, a new theatre along with a possible new condominium project at the Elms on Main Street too.  All of this sounds exciting and I hope for much success for all these efforts.  What I would like to suggest is a conversation to begin regarding a new parking commission to be created that can begin to manage our present parking inventory and begin to work with some of the new entities and our business community.  I have some great ideas and I can share them with some that are interested in learning more. 

Veterans Park School and parking there is of interest to me as well. A few years ago the Chamber of Commerce and I invited the Parking Commission members of both New Canaan and Greenwich to visit us here and present their success stories. On their walk around our downtown they asked the question and made quite an observation and suggestion, “why is there a school in the middle of your downtown?”  “This is a perfect spot for a parking lot”.

I ask that those of you in the process of examining the use of the schools and in the position to see change made, simply consider exploring a need to create a parking lot a VP.   By creating such a lot there we can move business owners and employees. We can begin to free up parking for customers and the many visitors and users of the downtown area.

These thoughts are  not just about a convenient parking space for any one visitor, but more importantly the impact that all these projects will have on the downtown and the future investment in real parking for the area here.  All I ask is for a conversation at this point, I’m not advocating for tearing down VP but to explore its possible use.

Just as important is to have a discussion and to install a Parking Commission once and for all.  I would like to see a Parking Commission installed so that we can begin to manage the parking and the users we have. Our present “inventory” of parking needs managing and our present “Parking Authority” really has no authority. If you don’t believe me just ask some of its past members.

Along with the upcoming added creations of a new library a new theatre right next door on Prospect Street, a possible new development of condominiums at the Elms Inn property, the many new housing complexes has brought all this to my attention and I hope yours too.

Wayne Addessi

Main Street