As Parking Situation Continues, Rye Town Park Prepares for July 4th

The call about Rye Town Park came in from across the pond in London one recent night. Rye Town Supervisor Joseph Carvin, in England on a business trip, called to respond to Patch's questions about the latest situation involving park and beach access as the park planned ahead for this July 4 weekend.

"What, if anything, have you learned from the recent Memorial Day Weekend (MDW) experience when differential pricing and reduced parking went into effect at Rye Town Park, and what, if anything, will you do differently as a result?" was the question posed to Carvin and, closer to home, Rye City Mayor Doug French.

Though oceans apart geographically, both had essentially the same answer –as a result of lessons learned, this time around there will be clearer communication, better signage, increased presence of security and a reassuring sense of authority.

"If it's a warm weekend, there will almost certainly be an early closing of the Rye Town Park parking area, probably around noon, for a short amount of time like over the Memorial Day weekend because of the reduced parking, only this time the signage, directions and holiday pricing will be a lot clearer," according to Carvin.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, for example, holiday parking rates ($12 for non-permit holding residents, $20 for non-residents) initially went into effect for the entire weekend, but those rates were changed on the spot by Carvin and French so that the upped rates were charged only on the holiday itself with the regular weekend rates on the other days ($9 for residents on Saturday and Sunday and $15 for non-residents). These prices will take effect on both July 4 and Labor Day.

There was also initial confusion about what to with the overflow of cars, with a lack of direction regarding alternative parking sites. Another cause of concern was parking, or lack thereof, for patrons of Seaside Johnnies, the restaurant at Rye Town Park facing Oakland Beach.

Both those issues have now been addressed.

As drivers come along Forest Avenue, past Rye Beach, Dearborn and Oakland Beach avenues for the turn off into the parking lot, signs have been posted that say "Parking Lot Full" if that is the case, with other signs saying "Alternate Parking at Playland." The Rye City Police Department has also posted an electronic sign that blinks the same message along with safety reminders like "Buckle Seat Belts."

Seaside Johnnies now has 40 designated parking spaces that they are responsible for maintaining, and employee cars must now be parked behind a designated line, maximizing spaces. Additional parking has also been created because scaffolding has been removed now that renovations have been completed at the park's Pavilion Administration Building.

Still, the parking area has been reduced from approximately 601 to 244 spaces, with 315 additional spaces in two other parking areas. That reduction in parking has come about in response to community safety, environmental and ecological concerns.

Both Carvin and French said all these concerns are important to the Commission as well. They maintain the increased parking and beach access pricing is necessary to maintain fiscal responsibility during an economic downturn when the park lost around $90,000 last year on a budget of $1 million.

The new differential pricing favoring residents is designed to return Rye Town Park to the approximately 60,000 area residents of Rye City, Port Chester, Rye Town and Rye Neck who pay the taxes that support the 28-acre park that borders Oakland Beach. Latest figures show that around 90 percent of Rye Town Park and Oakland Beach users are from out of the area.

"We want to take back our park and beach for area residents," Carvin said.

At the same time, park personnel have undergone increased sensitivity training as it tries to bring a Disney-like flavor to customer relations. Security and lawn parking personnel have also been increased, along with an increased Rye City police presence.

In the case of overflow parking situations, attendants have been instructed to direct drivers to the nearby Playland parking lot and warn them about off-street parking around the park because parking is illegal from May 1 to Oct.1 on Rye City streets with signs posted to that effect. Yet more than 300 parking tickets were handed out for "beach area" violations over the Memorial Day Weekend at $35 apiece.

Attendants have also been told to suggest overflow parkers go to the nearby Metro North commuter station in Rye, where parking is free on weekends. Park and beach visitors can take the public bus from there back to Rye Town Park.

"We're tightening up overall quality control," Carvin said. "And we're policing the barriers to enhance safety during lawn parking, riding close herd on drivers with an eye to making the area as safe as possible."

"The key is clear communication to the public combined with better personnel co-ordination, a sense of authority and control, and implementation of all the safety procedures in a courteous, friendly way that is backed up by an increased police presence," French said. "We've already had extensive planning meetings that included Playland officials as we get ready for the July 4 weekend."

"We made mistakes, and yes, there have been snafus and glitches, all to be expected when you institute so many major changes," he continued. "But overall, Rye Town Park performed well over the Memorial Day weekend, all things considered. And we have learned a great deal since then, all of which should make things run a lot smoother over the July 4 weekend and in days and weekends to come."

And nothing is set in stone, according to Carvin  and French, because the whole differential pricing and reduced  parking plan is a work-in-progress that is being watched closely by the entire Commission that also includes Rye Brook Mayor Joan Feinstein and Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla and Commissioners Benedict Salanitro and Joe Sacks.