Changes in Pearl River Business District Parking Discussed at Public Hearing

A public hearing on amending sections of the Orangetown parking code and questions regarding building a public access television studio in Orangetown were the topics that received the most attention at Tuesday's Orangetown Town Board meeting.

The public hearing concerned 154 parking spaces in three municipal lots within the Pearl River business district and addressed a number of issues raised by Orangetown residents and board members which included:

• The need and advisability of establishing 24/7 and overnight parking permits.
• Could enough additional revenue be raised to fund specific initiatives in Pearl River, including adding sidewalks in certain areas of the business district?
• If a patron had a parking permit could a spot be guaranteed?
• Are the present parking fines too low?
• Could parking revenue generated in the Pearl River business district be used specifically to benefit that area of town? 
• Establishing enhanced penalties for habitual violators of parking laws.  Consider the viability of penalizing the vehicle and allowing the town to tow and hold these vehicles until all outstanding fines are paid.

Councilman Dennis Troy framed the discussion when he commented, “We want to be business friendly.  We have studied the parking situation ad nauseum and spent a lot of time trying to make this right.  We want to help the Chamber (of Commerce) and businesses in downtown Pearl River.”

The issue was not resolved Tuesday. The public hearing is scheduled to be continued at the board meeting on May 10.

After questions were raised by several residents in attendance regarding a public access television studio that might be located at Tappan Zee High School, town attorney John Edwards summed up the town’s position.  He indicated that there had been ongoing discussions regarding an approximately $176,000 price tag for the studio with the costs to be shared by the South Orangetown Central School District and the town.

Edwards maintained that the town had expected to get a definitive answer as to the funds that the school district would make available for the project by an early April deadline.  According to Edwards, this did not happen.

He added that at a subsequent budget hearing, the town was apparently expected to fund the total project.

“The school district has taken advantage of us in the past so we must be aware of the facts,” Edwards said. "We have never made a commitment.  We have asked for the facts.  Since this concerns the expenditure of public funds we need to know what amount in the town’s portion?”

Other issues addressed at the meeting included:

An additional $21,470.00 expenditure at the Blue Hill Golf Course renovation caused by a change in the size of water service piping used for the job.  In response to a question from a local resident questioning the validity of the expenditure, Councilman Troy commented, The ¾” pipe was simply not large enough.  This is an excavation and these things can happen.” 

Councilman Michael Maturo added, “We are trying to be very cautious.”

Approval of a contract with Tyler Technologies, Inc. for a period of three years in the amount of $44,010.00 to provide system hosting, maintenance and support for payroll software.

A change order in the amount of $552, 104.02 to the wastewater treatment plant contract with Jett Industries was received and filed in the Town Clerk’s office.

A public hearing was scheduled for May 10 to discuss adding an alternate member to the Zoning Board of Appeals.  That member would attend all meetings and vote only in the absence of a regular member.