Winthrop Parking Request Debated
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

The Garden City Board of Trustees debated the fairness of designating 250 parking spaces in Parking Field 6E for Winthrop University Hospital employees at no cost at their April 7th meeting.

The hospital has requested the use of 250 spaces in the southerly portion of the parking field for one year from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday while their parking lots are repaired. According to Mayor Peter Bee, the parking field (located near St. James Street South, across from the post office behind 226 Seventh Street) is rarely used.

"It is our view that it will not materially impair the ability of Village residents to park in the downtown area," said Mayor Bee. "This will allow Winthrop to rehabilitate their existing parking facilities such that they will then have greater parking latitude, which will benefit the entire area."

Garden City resident Thomas Ryan questioned why Winthrop is not being charged like residents who park at the Garden City Long Island Rail Road station. "Let's be fair to our own residents who pay taxes to pave that parking lot," he said.

Mayor Bee explained that railroad station parking fees are determined by the Board of Trustees and is an exception to the general rule that the Village is to offer free parking to the general public. The Board is concerned that if a fee was not charged at the station, non-residents would take up most of the spaces.

Trustee Nicholas Episcopia said the Village should also charge Winthrop a minimal fee. "It is institutionalizing a group of parking spaces for a specific purpose or group of people," he said. "It sets a precedent. I just don't think the precedent is a good one."

Deputy Mayor John Mauk said Village Administrator Robert Schoelle, Jr. should ask Winthrop if they would be willing to pay a stipend to cover the Village's parking field maintenance cost.

Parking fields in the Village are designated for public use. Mayor Bee is concerned that if the spaces are not specially designated for Winthrop, employees will choose to park throughout the Village. The hospital will provide a shuttle bus for employees who park in the designated portion of the lot.

Many of the parking fields have legal restrictions which prohibit the Village from charging a usage fee. Village Counsel Gerard Fishberg said he is still reviewing the matter and could not say whether field 6E is one of those restricted lots.