The people in favor of a new parking lot behind the Springs Library should take a step back to reconsider. The plan is partly in response to Saturday morning congestion around the farmers market at Ashawagh Hall, a slim basis on which to base a major change to the immediate area. No matter how delicately designed, parking lots are parking lots.
First the pros: The farmers market is delightful. It operates between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. from the third Saturday in May to mid-September, bringing a rotating cast of 100 vendors. It has become a hit not just with cooks, but people looking for something fun to do with houseguests. The cons are relatively obvious.
The area also includes the Springs Presbyterian Church and a food pantry with Wednesday afternoon pickups.
Parking has been the biggest complaint about the farmers market. As is the case during any big event at Ashawagh Hall, drivers stash their vehicles wherever they can: along Old Stone Highway and Parsons Place and around the corner onto School Street. In some places the travel lanes are constricted, putting people on foot or bikes in the paths of passing motorists. For the most part, it all goes away after 1 p.m. Saturday once the market is over. The town’s solution to the parking crunch, however, is permanent.
The East Hampton Town Board reviewed two early versions of a plan this week. One would yield 33 spaces, the other 21; both would provide two paved spaces for accessible use. The rest of the lot would have a gravel surface and landscaping that has been likened to the parking area at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. A lighted walkway would connect to one already in place at the library. Stormwater runoff would trickle through the gravel, though additional drainage measures could be added to the design. The lot would be about 200 feet from Pussy’s Pond at its nearest point. Vehicles would enter and exit over a short driveway off Springs-Fireplace Road. To the town’s engineers’ credit, the draft was presented as just a concept, intended to spur conversation.
Without apparent irony, the plan was presented as following Springs Historic District guidelines, which noted the site was farmed at one time, and that clearing trees for the parking lot would enhance the view. Excuse us, but we prefer the sight of trees to cars or even the most style-conscious parking area any day.