Parking Deck? Why The Haste?

At the Patchogue Village Board meeting Of Feb. 24, 2014 I approached the Board with some questions about the parking meters.  During the ensuing discussion the Mayor revealed that a decision to build  a six to seven million dollar, two level parking deck in the Church St parking lot, with 200 spaces and possible entertainment venue would be made in three to six months.

After the meeting I looked at the Jan. 2012 parking study which Level G Associates completed for the Business Improvement District.  Its' recommendations were clear;  the Village should take a tiered approach to remedy parking problems. Tier one, least costly and most managable, included improvement to present  parking, signage etc.  Tier two, more costly would be acquisition of land for additional surface parking. Tier three, the most costly and most complex  would be the construction of a two level, six million dollar parking deck to be embarked upon if the first two tiers proved insufficient.  Furthermore and most importantly the report clearly recommended that no decision be made about construction of the deck until eighteen months after the Tritec project is fully occupied.

This is a very costly undertaking. which may or may not be funded by revenue from the parking meters.  The parking meters are not without expense as well as profit, and the actual revenue is still speculative.  The process of deck construction has the potential to disrupt activities in the business district for a significant length of time.  The possibility that it would house an entertainment venue raises noise and other quality of life issues already in play.  These are only some of the considerations to be made before a final decision

This is not to say that this project should not be undertaken but only that carful consideration and planning requires less haste.  Why not follow Level G Associates recommendation to wait for the Tritec development to be fully occupied for eighteen months before making a decision?  Why the haste?

At this point it is fair to say that most residents are either totally unaware that this plan is being considered or are not fully informed  regarding its' scope and  ramifications.  Residents and business owners alike deserve the opportunity to be made aware of every aspect of this plan.  A public hearing which has not been preceded by one or more public information forums is not sufficient,

Change in Patchogue Village has proceeded at a rapid pace with unforeseen consequences,  These have required residents to adapt very rapidly to the change in the aesthetics and character of their village. We are still struggling with those changes.

Why the haste?