Claiming East Lake Boulevard has become increasingly unsafe due to congestion, illegal parking and a lack of pedestrian infrastructure, Mahopac residents Laura and Matthew Spallina appeared before the Carmel Town Board on May 6 armed with a petition signed by 75 residents calling for action.
Laura Spallina, who lives on East Lake Boulevard near the lakefront corridor that includes Friends restaurant, Mahopac VFW and St. John the Evangelist Church, said the roadway has become overwhelmed by traffic and parking demands as the area has grown busier in recent years.
“Parking is the worst it’s ever been,” Spallina told the Town Board.
According to Spallina, vehicles regularly park over roadway lines and partially into traffic lanes, forcing drivers to cross the double-yellow line to maneuver around them. She said she has repeatedly contacted police and has started documenting conditions herself with photographs because she feels enforcement has been inconsistent.
“If we don’t enforce any rules, no one’s going to listen to it,” she said. “If we don’t ticket cars, no one’s going to listen to it.”
Spallina said the situation is especially dangerous for pedestrians, noting that residents and visitors frequently walk along the roadway to access businesses, the lakefront and nearby attractions despite the absence of sidewalks or designated walking areas.
“It is scary,” she said. “We’re going to see a kid hit by a car. We’re going to see more accidents.”
She told the board she has personally witnessed two accidents from her porch within the past year and continues to receive complaints and videos from neighbors concerned about speeding, congestion and near misses.
Identifying herself as a nurse practitioner, Spallina said she views the issue as a genuine public safety hazard rather than merely an inconvenience.
She also voiced frustration over the prospect of additional housing development in the area, referencing discussions about new townhouses being constructed nearby despite what she described as an already severe shortage of parking.
Spallina said she has contacted the town, Putnam County officials, the Department of Public Works and law enforcement agencies, but feels responsibility for the problem continues to shift between jurisdictions because East Lake Boulevard is a county road governed in part by town enforcement.
Her husband, Matthew Spallina, said the corridor has evolved into what functions as a “downtown” destination area, drawing residents and visitors to the marina, beach, condominiums, apartments, restaurants, the VFW hall and the lakefront.
Matthew Spallina, who works for the nonprofit Community Preservation Corporation on downtown revitalization projects throughout New York, urged officials to pursue a broader streetscape plan that could include sidewalks, safer pedestrian access, lighting improvements and redesigned parking.
“One of the things is streetscapes, which means walking paths, sidewalks, good lighting, and well-lit places to walk, safety, [and they] eliminate safety hazards, [and] any concerns about places to park,” he said.
He suggested the area could potentially be redesigned with one-way traffic and bump-out parking to create room for sidewalks while maintaining access to businesses and residences.
Town officials acknowledged the longstanding parking and pedestrian concerns.
Councilman Bob Schanil suggested the town explore better use of nearby parking areas, including the former school district building lot and public parking near the walking trail off Route 6, along with improved signage directing visitors to those locations.
“Parking is tight. It’s very limited and it draws a crowd of people, hence because you’re on the lake and it’s a beautiful place to be,” Schanil said.
Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari said the town has already pursued grants for sidewalks and crosswalks along East Lake Boulevard and has requested that the county reduce the speed limit to 25 mph, but those efforts have so far failed to gain traction.
“If you want to draw up sidewalks for that, a streetscape … we could put it in with the next grant,” Cazzari told the Spallinas. “But we don’t have $15 million to do these things.”
Cazzari said state and county transportation grant programs generally require formal renderings and engineering plans before projects can be considered for funding.
Councilman Mike Lugo said he understood the concerns firsthand because he previously lived in nearby condominiums and recalled how dangerous it could be crossing the roadway with his young son.
“That’s been going on forever,” Lugo said. “Obviously businesses are thriving there, which is good.”
Police Chief Anthony Hoffmann was not present at the meeting but told Mahopac News that police frequently respond to complaints involving noise, speeding, parking and traffic conditions along East Lake Boulevard.
“We do get a lot of complaints down there, and we respond frequently,” Hoffmann said. “It is definitely a busy road.”
Hoffmann added that the roadway’s status as a county road creates jurisdictional complications requiring cooperation between the town and county.
“I know some would like to make it a one-way street, but I don’t think the county will go for that,” he said.
Despite their frustrations, the Spallinas told officials they want to work collaboratively with the town and county toward solutions before the area experiences a serious tragedy.
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