Aberdeen ordinances address parking woes, set limitations By Erin Romanski Correspondent VERONICA YANKOWSKI A view at 10:30 a.m. July 11 of the Aberdeen ShopRite parking lot which doubles as a commuter lot during the week. ABERDEEN — The Township Council addressed two parking ordinances at its July 1 meeting. Mayor David Sobel presented ordinances 11-2003 and 12-2003 to the council during a workshop meeting, which was followed by a public meeting. The ordinances will limit the parking on Independence Drive, which feeds into the north side of Reids Hill Road about 900 feet behind ShopRite, Sobel said. The new limitations are the town’s response to residents’ complaints about commuters parking on their streets. "Car alarms go off at 5:30 in the morning, and you have the garbage blown over from commuters," said James Faczak, a 25-year township resident. Once the ordinances are passed, parking on Independence Drive will be limited on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., with parking permitted only two hours at a time, Sobel said at the public meeting. Hours for parking on Oxford Lane, a business street that runs parallel to Route 34,will also be reduced, to three hours at a time. Residential parking is otherwise permitted for the time being. "The council’s first obligation is to the residents of this town," Sobel said. "The ordinances will go into effect only when they have been passed and made public through posted signs," said Councilman Lionel Wilson. "And this does not apply on weekends, of course." The parking problems the ordinances hope to solve came about when ShopRite and Stop & Shop reduced or eliminated much of the commuter parking previously available at their locations on Lloyd Road. Commuters using NJ Transit had been using those lots for parking. "NJ Transit is perfectly aware of the parking situation and has done nothing," Sobel said. "We speculate that they have left it up to [the state] to handle the problems created with parking. Legally, they can do whatever they want," he said. "Morally, it’s another issue." NJ Transit has acquired land in Old Bridge off Route 34 where commuter parking may be made available for Aberdeen residents and bus commuters. Some township residents were concerned that their own vehicles may be ticketed under the new parking rules. "Will I be ticketed, or my house guests, if we park on the street the night before?" asked James Gallo, an Aberdeen resident. "I just don’t know if this route is the correct way, and I want us to find a happy medium." Wilson said the council would consider discussing permits for residents after the ordinances have been passed, which will be followed by a 20-day waiting period before the restrictions go into effect. While the ordinances attempt to address the concerns of some local residents, the commuter parking problems remain. "I understand that the people of Independence Drive and other residents have a valid point, but the transportation network is crucial, and there is a total disregard for commuters," said Angelo Grillo, an Aberdeen resident. Grillo suggested tax incentives for shopping centers that allow commuters to park in their lots. "It’s an insurance risk," Sobel said. "Monmouth County has done nothing, and all private property is essentially the decision of the shopping center managers." Some commuters in attendance said they are willing to pay a reasonable cost to ensure that they will have an assigned parking spot throughout the year. "I would be willing to pay, say, $100 a year for a permit to park in a safe, lighted area," said Susan Maloney, an Aberdeen resident. "As a new resident from New York, I would support paying for parking and preferential treatment for residents," said township resident Cheryl Bujold. There is currently an eight- to 10-year waiting list to park at the train station, and monthly bus passes are also very limited time-wise, Maloney said. "The township needs to take some pride in helping the citizens, or no one will come to live here," she said. "Something has to be done," said Tom Brady of Keyport. "A concerted effort needs to be made. I commute with a friend of mine from Aberdeen. Last week, my car was towed to Perth Amboy and it cost $154 to get back," he said. "Of course, the optimal solution is to keep the buses going, limit the parking, and at the same time have enough parking for the commuters to be able to get to work," Sobel said.