Board Mulls Changes to Town Parking Policy

Owners of commercial vehicles might need to start looking for alternative plans for overnight parking.

The Harrison Town Board is currently working on a plan that would ban on-street overnight parking of commercial vehicles in residential neighborhoods. Current laws allow commercial vehicles to park on the street, but not in driveways.

The idea is to free more parking for residents in crowded neighborhoods while also removing the eyesore created by landscaping and construction vehicles parked on some streets overnight. 

But what, exactly, constitutes a commercial vehicle? That's one issue the board will need to define before bringing the plan to a vote. Early proposals for the law were a little vague for some members of the board, and that issue will be revisited in the weeks to come.

Police Chief Anthony Marraccini worked with town attorneys to help draw up the law. Once approved, he hopes it will offset an increase in larger commercial and business vehicles that have been parking on Harrison streets.

"People are taking these vehicles, they are parking these vehicles out in front of homes," said Marraccini. "It's unsightly, it takes up a lot of unnecessary parking."

Early proposals would ban commercial vehicles in the residential zones from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The town is considering opening a permit lot for commercial vehicles both downtown and in West Harrison, but those plans are still in their infant stages.