Floral Park is now authorized to establish a residential parking system for a section of the village near the UBS Arena following legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on July 1.
The section includes an area of the village between the northern border of Belmont Park and south of Atlantic Avenue. There is currently no residential parking program for the area but the village is allowed to create one now if necessary.
Floral Park Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald said in a letter to the community that the legislation is meant to ease parking issues that have surfaced since the arena’s opening last fall.
“The rationale behind this bill is to address some of the parking issues that the Village has experienced since the UBS Arena opened. Additionally, we seek to ensure that when the LIRR Elmont Station is opened in both directions that the patrons for the Arena do not use our residential streets to park,” Fitzgerald said. “As we do not know yet the precise impact the train service in both directions at the Elmont Station will have on us, our current intention is to not implement a residential parking permit program immediately but, rather, to design a program that can be put in place quickly. Further information will be provided in the future.”
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills), follows nearby communities such as Bellerose Terrace and Elmont.
Floral Park’s Board of Trustees originally brought up the idea at a Jan. 4 meeting, when Fitzgerald said the potential area would include a “large part of the village” involving the entire West End, portions of Plainfield Avenue, Ward Street and Jericho Turnpike, among others.
Fitzgerald said then the village has been able to avoid most of the issues by keeping the Mayfair Avenue Gate closed, which maintains the quality of life for residents on the village’s West End.
Future problems may occur, according to the mayor, when the Elmont LIRR station in Bellerose Terrace, unveiled in November, becomes fully functional in both directions.
Since the public opening on Nov. 20, the UBS Arena has been the home to the New York Islanders as well as hosting concerts, which will be held year-round outside of hockey season.
Officials and residents in surrounding communities including Hempstead and Floral Park have brought up the rise in traffic and noise complaints since then.
At a December special board meeting of the Town of Hempstead, officials unanimously approved parking regulations on roads off Hempstead Turnpike including Locustwood Boulevard, and Heathcote, Huntley Sussex, Warwick and Wellington roads.
In addition, 106th and 109th avenues and Fieldmere and Pine streets were included. Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said that issues have worsened due to delays in the completion of the parking garage on Hempstead Turnpike.
Fitzgerald thanked state Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont), Kaplan, their staffs, Village Administrator Gerry Bambrick and the residents who came to the Jan. 4 meeting.
