Proposal of new parking regulations causes a stir in Mount Kisco

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. - Mount Kisco had been set to implement a new set of parking regulations on June 2.

But after getting some serious pushback from the business community, it said this week that changes – whatever they end up being – won’t go into effect until Aug. 4.

That announcement about the postponement was made -- briefly and without explanation -- by Village Manager Ed Brancati at the Village Board meeting on Monday.

Members of the Chamber of Commerce flocked to the board’s May 19 meeting to protest the village’s plan to extend parking enforcement hours, which currently end at 6 p.m., to 8 p.m. instead.

The folks that spoke were also vehemently against eliminating free parking on Saturdays at all but one of the village’s lots, namely North Moger, which has 300 spaces.

(Under the proposal, parking would still remain free on Sundays and on holidays.)

The opponents' main objection was that the changes might drive customers away and endanger mom-and-pop businesses, especially in the downtown area.

However, none of the speakers appeared to be too upset about the village’s proposal to raise parking meter fees from the current 50 cents an hour to 25 cents per 20 minutes.

The changes had been posted on the village’s Facebook page and in a flyer-like announcement on its website. By Tuesday, June 3, both of those had been taken down and replaced with a one-sentence bulletin (in English and Spanish): “Please be advised that any parking enforcement related changes are delayed until August 4th, 2025.”

Noting the delay, Brancati said Monday: “I know we shared some proposed parking changes previously. We were looking at those going into effect today. They are not. Everything will continue as is and nothing will be implemented before Aug. 4.”

Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora had no comment on the situation at the June 2 meeting, but did post the following on Facebook the next day:

“I sent this email to the Mayor, the Board, Village Manager and his Assistant this morning regarding Parking. I’m very disappointed in the way this issue was handled right from the start.

“Last night at the Board meeting it was announced that the new parking fees/rules aren’t going into effect until August. There has been no new banner to inform the public on Village Facebook the way it was initially announced, and the old banner with June 2 as the start date is still on the Village website.

The entire debacle could have easily been avoided had there been a discussion with the Trustees, instead of some of us being blindsided (and blamed).”

Trustees Tom Luzio, Karen Schleimer, and Angie Guerra-Garcia did not address the topic Monday (June 2) but Mayor J. Michael Cindrich did have something to say.

Namely that he had “spent a number of hours talking to business owners, residents, and business owners outside of the downtown area, both by email and in person.”

Calling possible parking regulation changes, a “work in progress,” Cindrich said he thought that the village would be “staying the course in several areas.”

He also noted that the village doesn’t have, at this time, the right equipment to retrofit the on-street parking meters.

The village has six lots: North Moger Avenue, South Moger Avenue, Blackeby (located behind Party City’s former store on Main Street), Village Center (aka Shoppers Park, sandwiched between East Main Street and Moger Avenue), Dakin Avenue, and East Hyatt Avenue.

Cindrich encouraged residents, business owners, and visitors to check out parking regulations currently followed in Dobbs Ferry, calling them “very similar to what Mount Kisco’s proposing.”

He also noted that Dobbs Ferry had “suspended all parking enforcement for a year while they undertook a revamping of the program.”

Economic Pressures 

Downtown traffic has been a hot topic for years and although there are an estimated 1,100 municipal spaces in Mount Kisco, there’s a public perception – whether justified or not -- that parking’s a huge problem too.

Prior to adopting its FY 2025-2026 budget, villages officials looked at different ways of reducing the proposed local tax burden, including seeking more revenue from sources such as parking fees.

(The proposed budget called for an increase in parking revenues of $85,000.)

Noting in April that “village taxpayers have been subsidizing parking for quite some now,” Cindrich said then that the proposed changes would be discussed with the Chamber of Commerce and the merchants before proceeding so as not to “hurt the economy.”

Among those sending emails about, or commenting on the situation – specifically asking that the village “pause” or rescind the regulations -- on May 19 were property and/or business owners Anthony Chiappinelli, Megan Goldschein, Rob Bernstein, Dianna Cardillo, Loretta Brooks, Leigh Hodgson, Selamawit Wieland-Tesfaye (“Mimi”), Ed Reilly (president of the chamber’s board of directors), and Beth Vetare-Civitello (chamber co-executive director.)

Speaking as concerned residents were Heather Bryant and Tammy Brown. Both are running for Village Board this fall.

In the days following the May 19 meeting, Luzio reported receiving numerous emails from residents and businesses wanting the village to reconsider the plan.

Luzio commented then that he thought the 25-cent increase was “more than reasonable” in light of fiscal pressures such as inflation and the fact that those revenues will end up on the “plus” side of the ledger because there’ll be no differences in “infrastructure” and “how we deal with it.”

However, the other two pieces of the puzzle need to undergo a “cost-benefit analysis,” in his opinion – in other words, what will it cost the village to enforce the extended hours and extra day versus what it would get in terms of revenues.

Luzio said he was also taken aback by the number of negative comments about the new parking regs he’s gotten compared to those about another hot button topic, the proposed Con Ed rate hike.

“Mostly it’s because people were surprised that it happened and at how quickly it happened,” Luzio said.

He acknowledged voting for budget which contained the 25-cent hike, but said he didn’t know that the other elements were “coming down the pike on June 2.”

“I feel like our businesses are coming back. They’re paying high rents and taxes and have the same inflation costs that we have. It’s a tough ask, especially at this moment where we’ve seen some real progress coming out of COVID,” Luzio said.

Speaking to Halston Media later, Luzio expressed frustration that no trustee but himself had spoken up at the May 19 meeting, especially after hearing impassioned pleas from Chamber members.

“Their silence speaks volumes,” he said.

Flora assured Halston Media later that she was listening “intently” to everything folks had to say that night.

She pointed out that the increase in the meter pricing was part of a fee schedule included in the recently passed budget.

However, Flora said in that May email that she hadn’t been aware that the other two changes were about to take effect and that she was “disappointed that the village manager presented it to the public via a village Facebook post when the BOT (Board of Trustees) was not informed or had an opportunity to discuss (it).”

At the time, she was “still gathering information on the issue.”

Schleimer took a similar stance after the May 19 meeting, telling a reporter that she’d thought the extended enforcement hours and the elimination of free parking on Saturdays were issues that were still on the table.

Trustee Angie Guerra-Garcia had not responded to requests for comment by press time for the June 5 issue. Likewise, Brancati had not confirmed that the regulations were being postponed by press time.

Decision ‘Not Made in a Vacuum’ 

Defending the village’s move on May 19, Brancati called it “consistent with what it used to do, what it had done for years.”

Pointing to rising costs and insisting that the changes weren’t made “in a vacuum,” he said that the village took a look at practices in other municipalities and found that, at 50 cents an hour for parking, it was the cheapest around.

“At 75 cents, we’re still the lowest,” he said, noting that it’s now tied with Peekskill, Ossining, Pleasantville, and Mamaroneck and that “others that charge for parking are anywhere from $1 to $1.50 an hour.”

Others are enforcing parking rules between 10 to 14 hours a day, some starting at 6 a.m. in the morning.

(During the COVID pandemic, when looking at ways to help the business community out, the village made parking free on Saturdays. It also stopped requiring permits to run for a year and allowed them to be purchased on a month-to-month basis. Fifteen-minute drop-off spots were also created.)

“I think we were able to provide some relief, but I think this is coming back to what we used to do and still be on the lower end of what anybody would charge for parking in Westchester County,” Brancati said.

In a May 27 email to Halston Media, Cindrich noted that “the parking issue in Mount Kisco is complex,” that the village’s parking revenue “is down between $200,000 and $250,000,” that it’s spent nearly $5 million on its “Streetscape” project, and that it’s working on other business district improvements.

“I have always worked with village managers to find alternative sources of operating funds, to reduce the real estate tax burden. I asked the manager to reduce his request for the recent property tax increase,” Cindrich said, adding that, as mayor, he has a “responsibility to treat all residents in a fair and equitable way.”

He also said that the parking issue was “briefly discussed” with the Chamber last year and pointed out that Mount Kisco -- considering the amount of services it offers and the affordability of its parking fees compared to other municipalities such as Dobbs Ferry – is still a great deal.

“The five-member board voted on the parking changes,” he wrote, adding: “Recent rhetoric suggests it will become a political issue. I remain open to constructive criticism."

Grace Period 

If changes are made, there will be a short grace period.

According to Brancati, folks will be giving “warnings” for the first week or two before actual tickets are given out.

Contrary to popular belief, parking enforcement officers are not hiding in the bushes waiting to pounce the second a meter expires, he said, asking folks to understand that they’re “not bad people; they’re just doing their job.”

The village only deploys two of them at the same time and it’s physically impossible for them to be everywhere at once.

“If they see the thing’s out of time, they’re going to give it a ticket. They don’t know if it’s a minute past or 45 minutes past,” Brancati explained.

Taking a Stand 

Rob Bernstein, owner of Mount Kisco Sports, a downtown fixture for more than 20 years, told the board in May that he wasn’t opposed to raising the meter rates.

But extending enforcement hours to 8 p.m.?

“I know it’s going to hurt businesses,” he said, because people will leave a store if they’re worried about getting a ticket.

“I don’t want customers to deal with this. I want them to come in, to buy, to feel that they’re home and there’s no stress,” Bernstein said, noting that it’s bound to cause resentment especially among residents.

“Consumers really can’t stand getting hammered for parking in a place where they live,” he added.

Bernstein said he wasn’t aware of any discussions about changing the parking regulations “before last week.”

“It it’s going to affect us negatively, you need to bring this to the table,” he urged officials.

Pushing customers away is “not a good look for the village,” Bernstein said.

Ed Reilly, president of the Chamber’s board of directors, addressed what he called the “untended consequences” of extending enforcement hours to 8 p.m.

While paying an extra 25 cents is “not a big deal,” having to stress about feeding the meter while dining out is, he said, adding: “People are going to be ticketed.”

Reminding the board that the Chamber’s “a little different” than others in the area, Reilly said sees itself not just as an entity that educates and supports merchants, but also as one well positioned to “dive into the community and really make Mount Kisco a great place to be.”

The organization’s had a “great relationship” with the village itself so that’s why, Reilly said, he found it disconcerting to feel that it wasn’t at the table when the changes were proposed.

Things that Cindrich said at the May meeting after hearing out the opposition seemed to Reilly like he was “opening the door” to further ruminations on the topic.

That would be “the best-case scenario if they followed through,” Reilly told Halston Media later, adding that “communication is key” and that the Chamber and the village are “both working toward the same goal.”

The former basketball referee and coach used a sports analogy to sum up.

If coaches disagree with a call, they can express that to the referee, even though they know that it probably won’t change things.

However, engaging openly can set things up in a positive way for the next encounter, Reilly said, explaining: “We become part of the process as we work toward the next call.”

Beth Vetare-Civitello, Chamber co-director, hoped things could be ironed out to everyone’s satisfaction.

She’s worried that folks might get the wrong idea that Mount Kisco’s isn’t “a friendly place to shop.”

According to Vetare-Civitello, small businesses “are critical to the survival of small villages and towns.”

For every dollar spent at one, 67 cents stays put, she said. Local businesses hire local workers, source local goods, and actively contribute to the community’s growth.

The new parking regulations “could result in the loss of owner-present businesses,” Vetare-Civitello said, adding: “If even ONE closes, it would begin to erode the fabric of our economy.”

Members weren’t trying to be "alarmists” or “adversarial,” they just want to continue the “great working relationship” the Chamber’s had with the village.

“We’re trying to work together,” Vetare-Civitello said.

Cindrich noted that the budget increase as originally proposed was reduced.

Without revenues to fill the gap, the village might have had to raise taxes, cut services, and laid people off, the mayor said, adding as an aside: “I think we’re going to have to have more meetings.”

In his letter to the board, Anthony Chiappinelli, the owner of property on South Moger Avenue, decried cumulative negative impacts on small businesses -- including the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs.

Cindrich countered that he didn’t think tariffs were “going to impact businesses as much as Amazon and every other dot com does.”

Leigh Hodgson, who with her husband, Drew, owns The Hamlet British Store and The Ambleside Pub, disagreed.

“We are an import shop. Every item we sell is imported. We are SO impacted,” she said, explaining that suppliers are already “slapping 10 percent onto our orders.”

The shop is “trying hard” not to pass those added costs down to its customers but things have taken a toll, namely postponed expansion plans.

Employees at the pub and store do use an app on their cell phones to feed the meters, but sometimes things get hectic and they can’t.

A $15 ticket doesn’t sound like much, but it is to folks who don’t make a lot of money, said Hodgson, adding: “This is a big burden to them.”

(Neither the pub nor the store has its own parking.)

Cindrich pointed out that municipal lots are within easy walking distance and that permit parking is far cheaper and can amount to about $1 a day

Dianna Cardillo, owner of Indulgence Beauty Bar, read a text from Lori Land, owner of Jolie Jordan Boutique, who urged the village to rescind its decision to eliminate free parking on Saturdays in all but the North Moger lot.

“We will be gravely impacted by your choices of not making our patrons feel the love and customer service from sour town,” it said.

Selamawit Wieland-Tesfaye, owner of Mimi’s Coffee House, backed up that general sentiment as did Bryant and Brown.

The change “doesn’t feel moderate to me, even as a resident,” Bryant said, adding that she’d “hate to see a vacancy in town because a business can’t make it, or chooses not to come, here.”

Parking is “a big factor” when Brown is making decisions about where to shop, she said.

“Perception is everything and I’m hearing a lot of people saying they were blindsided by the decision on the new regulations,” Brown said, adding that a lot of older folks at the Fox Senior Center have told her that “they didn’t know anything about it.”