No parking zone

Merrick merchants call downtown parking a nightmare, as commuters gobble spaces


      When it comes to parking in downtown Merrick, business owners along Merrick Avenue just north of the train station agree on three things.
      One, finding convenient parking in the area is difficult, for shoppers, business owners and employees.
      Two, the lack of available parking is caused by an overabundance of non-Merrick commuters, who flock to the Merrick train station each morning to park.
      And three, the current parking situation is bad for business and a major problem that needs to be addressed.
      But what Merrick merchants don't agree on is what the best solution to the parking problem is, or whether a feasible one even exists.

Blame it on the trains

      "What caused the problem is our excellent train service here in Merrick," said David McDonough, Merrick's liaison to the Town of Hempstead Downtown Revitalization Project and president of Graydon Associates on Broadcast Plaza.
      Convenient morning express trains to New York City, combined with ample town municipal parking, have made the Merrick station a popular destination for commuters, some of whom are said to come from as far as Suffolk County.
      McDonough said that, five years ago, Merrick business owners and Nassau County police conducted a survey to determine who used Merrick's train-station parking lots. Business owners' suspicions were confirmed when the survey revealed that a high percentage of the commuters were from neighboring towns, like Freeport, East Meadow, Bellmore, Seaford, Massapequa and Wantagh.
      Since the survey, the town has created more municipal parking near the station to try to alleviate the congestion. But merchants say that, while the town's efforts were well intentioned, the additional parking has made the station an even more attractive commuter destination.
      "Basically, Merrick has become the place for commuters to come and park," said Doug Mills, owner of Printing Emporium on Merrick Avenue.
      To make matters worse, said Mills, commuters don't always park in lots designated for all-day use. Those lots tend to fill up early, so many commuters leave their cars in spaces with one- to four-hour limits, spaces that are meant for shoppers. Merrick business owners say that commuters would rather take a chance on getting a ticket than drive into New York City and pay for more expensive parking there. "They say it's just an expense, a cost of doing business," Mills said.
      McDonough said he has been told the same. "If they get a ticket once or twice a week, they say they're still ahead of the game."
      The glut of commuters parking in Merrick means that few spaces are available for people who want to shop in downtown Merrick. That's bad for business, especially retailers who rely on walk-in traffic, said Julie Marchesella, owner of the Queen of Hearts clothing shop on Merrick Avenue and president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce.
      "I'm one of the stores most effected," said Marchesella. "My customers will drive around once or twice, and if they can't find a parking spot, they'll drive away."
      Marchesella said that customers from neighboring towns have commented to her about the parking conditions in Merrick. "The first thing they say is, 'It's terrible parking here,'" Marchesella said.
      And there's yet another problem. Richard Cincotta, president of American Coin and Stamp Brokerage on Merrick Avenue, says there is no place for business owners and employees to park while they work. All-day spaces in the municipal lots are "long gone" by the time most merchants arrive at work, said Cincotta, forcing business people to leave work every few hours to move their cars or risk getting a ticket. One day last week, three of Cincotta's five employees received parking tickets.
      If Merrick wants to attract additional businesses to its downtown district, especially retailers, something has to be done to provide for merchant parking, Cincotta said. "We're not saying we're asking for any special breaks, but parking vehicles so we can work is not unreasonable."

And the answer is?

      Town Councilman Gary Hudes (R-Levittown) said Hempstead is always on the lookout for additional land to acquire and convert into parking lots. The town's Traffic and Engineering Department is now considering reconfiguring downtown parking areas, like Broadcast Plaza, to create more spaces.
      But Hudes said he realizes making more parking is a "Catch 22" and might only add to the problem. "You could put 300 new spaces in there today, and they would be filled tomorrow," Hudes said.
      Cincotta agreed. "It would just flood the area with more traffic, and the lots will still fill up by 7 a.m."
      Some merchants say the solution is stricter enforcement of current parking restrictions and more severe fines for commuters who park all day in spaces meant for shoppers.
      "We definitely need better enforcement and higher fines," said Marchesella, who favors doubling the current $25 parking fine to $50 to deter violators.
      Pedro Valdez, of Roma Pizza, says there must be better enforcement in the municipal lots behind Merrick Avenue stores. "They ticket people on Merrick Avenue, but never bother people in the lots," said Valdez. "And raising the fines might work too."
      Hudes said he recently sent a letter to county Executive Thomas Gulotta (R-North Merrick), requesting that an additional parking-enforcement agent be assigned to Merrick, Bellmore and Baldwin. Right now, one agent writes tickets in the three communities. Years ago, there were three, said Hudes, and an additional agent would help crack down on offenders.
      A county spokesperson said the letter was received by Gulotta's attorney and forwarded to county Police Commissioner William Willet's office, where the request is being evaluated.
      Merchants like Cincotta, however, say that handing out more tickets is not the answer, because it would hurt business owners and employees. Cincotta would like to see all-day parking permits issued to merchants, who don't have private parking spaces behind their stores, and to their employees.
      At the least, Cincotta said, metered parking in the municipal lots would help because business people could put coins in their meter every few hours, rather than move their cars.
      But requests for permit parking in municipal lots for Merrick commuters or business owners cannot be considered, Hudes said. "These lots were built with federal funds, and you cannot limit these lots to specific resident or business parking."
      Hudes suggested that business owners encourage their employees to park as far as possible from Merrick Avenue stores and walk to work, leaving the more convenient spaces for customers. "It's the best health-care plan a business owner can offer his employees," Hudes said.

One last suggestion

      Alexandra Marinaccio, who works in Oak Tree Books on Merrick Avenue, suggests building a multi-level parking facility for commuters near the train station. A self-described child of the 60's, Marinaccio also suggests commuters share rides to the train station to avoid parking congestion.
      "Maybe we need another gas crisis to get people to car pool," Marinaccio said. When reminded that a gas crisis might mean even more people taking the train to work and parking in Merrick, Marinaccio responded,"Oh yeah, maybe not."
      Some merchants aren't optimistic that there is any solution to the parking nightmare in downtown Merrick.
      "It's a difficult situation, [and] it's not a livable situation anymore," Marchesella said.
      "I've been here for 20 years," said Mills. "If there was a solution, I think we would have found it."