Story by Naomi Hanson
With the advent of Chase bank moving its building to Rte. 94 near Price Chopper, the Village Board has the opportunity to add free public parking to the former bank lot on South St. in the Village of Warwick.
Mayor Michael Newhard suggested opening spots in the lot as a response to public feedback urging for more parking. Current permit holders for that lot will be rearranged in a horseshoe pattern in order to make room for public parking in the middle. Handicaps spots were discussed to ensure that there would be enough access and the potential to add another spot was brought up.
Other solutions to limited parking were suggested, such as extending free parking in the South St. lot (behind Main St. shops) from three hours to four hours. An extended parking limit did bring up concerns about decreased visitor turnover. A four-hour limit, while potentially decreasing turnover, will allow for shoppers to stay longer in the community. It will also make parking lot time limits more consistent, as the CVS parking lot is four-hour parking.
In lieu of parking changes, the Village would restripe the South St. lot and add new signage to reflect the changes to the Village code. The Board will put together a comprehensive packet regarding changes to parking, permit hours, handicap spots and schedule a public hearing for the future.
Changes to First Street Parking Lot
The First St. Parking Lot is to remain essentially the same with discussion on extending the overnight permit hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. rather than 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Board members considered moving those permitted park spots to the Chase Bank Lot and will reassess once they have reached out to those who own permits.
New Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Policy
The Village has adopted a new sexual discrimination and harassment policy which includes new training based on the New York State standard for 2019. The new policy adds structure and a second compliance office to be more receptive to any complaints.
Funding for Project for Youth Continued
The Village of Warwick has received $4,000 in funding for the 2020 ‘Project for Youth’ Recreation Program from the Orange County Youth Bureau. This program is a combination of mini-sports camps for ages five through 12 during the summer.
Snow Storm Clean-Up
A motion passed to allow for an extra work team to clean the debris after the snowstorm from the following weekend.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will take place on Mon., Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm in the Village Hall, 77 Main St., in Warwick.
