The Sag Harbor Village Board is getting closer to finalizing a proposal to charge for parking on Main Street and in the Long Wharf parking lot between Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends.
The village has 898 parking spaces over all, and the proposal calls for allowing one hour of free parking in 221 "premium spaces," including the vast majority on Main Street and in the Long Wharf lot, and charging for additional hours, said Aidan Corish, a trustee who has been overseeing the plan's development. A few 30-minute parking spots on Main Street would remain free, and there would be no charge for handicapped spots.
A maximum of three hours of parking would be allowed between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. "We feel that's enough to give people time if they want to catch a movie . . . or if they want to grab lunch and do some sightseeing or some shopping on Main Street," said Mr. Corish. The cost would be $5 for the first additional hour, and $7.50 for the second.
Between 5 p.m. and midnight, a maximum of four hours would be allowed at a cost of $5 for the first additional hour, $7.50 for the second, and $15 for the third.
Mr. Corish said village residents and its first responders would receive either a 20 or 25 percent discount on the fees.
To collect the money, the village is planning to hire ParkMobile, a company that provides a smartphone app-based payment service. East Hampton Village, which is formulating its own paid parking plan, contracted with the company last month, and Lex Blum, a regional sales manager for ParkMobile, said Southampton Village is considering signing on as well. Those who prefer not to use the app can use a 1-800 phone number to set up an account.
Drivers, including those intending to take advantage of the first free hour, would have to log into their ParkMobile account immediately after parking. The company will notify them when time is about to expire.
The company will provide the service and signage at no cost to the village, and it will collect 35 cents per transaction, Mr. Corish said.
Because robust cellphone service will be necessary to make the program viable, he said, the village is upgrading the existing transmitters and receivers in the cupola of the Municipal Building on Main Street.
The village expects to collect $1 million per year in revenue from paid parking, Mr. Corish said, and it would use the money to pay for infrastructure repair, the creation of bike lanes and new sidewalks, and other public works projects. Having a new, predictable source of revenue would allow the village to develop a "holistic," long-term plan for capital improvements. "Paid parking is something whose time has come on the East End," he said.
The board plans to officially introduce the proposal at its next meeting on Jan. 27, and will hold public hearings in February. "If we want this to happen for this summer, we do need to vote in March," said Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy.
