On Thursday Greenwich Board of Selectmen approved several parking related amendments proposed by Greenwich Police Deputy Chief Jim Bonney who is in charge of Parking Services.
But they did not take a vote on a proposal to remove one-hour parking along a section of East Putnam Ave near Cos Cob School.
Business owners including Arcuri’s, Roost and Randy’s Wines rely on customers being able to park in these spots, located by the rock outcropping close to Cos Cob School.
Car parked in the one hour parking area along East Putnam Ave where there is a proposal to amend the traffic ordinance to eliminate parking.
Cars parked in the narrow shoulder hang into an active lane of traffic.
Deputy Chief Bonney said the area inside a single white “fog” line was not wide enough for parking, and that parked vehicles impede traffic and encroach into the active lane of traffic.
“This is definitely a safety issue. We had 9 accidents there last year. Either people swerving out of the northern lane into the southern lane because there is a car parked in the lane or people getting in and out of their car getting their doors hit,” Bonney said.
“It’s a state owned road. We can’t just widen the road. The state would take 20 years to do it. There is no easy fix,” Bonney said, adding that every available space along the Post Road is already utilized for on-street parking.
First Selectman Fred Camillo said he visited the area the previous day.
“I took my Ford pickup truck and when I opened the door, the door was completely in the traffic lane.”
Camillo said had spoken to Randy Caravella, owner of Randy’s Wines, about the situation and hoped to find a way to decrease the impact on the small businesses.
He compared the situation to Glenville Pizza, where three spaces were found to replace the ones lost in front of the pizza parlor by the new traffic light during the Glenville corridor improvements.
Camillo asked Deputy Chief Bonney to reach out to the CT Dept of Transportation to ask about re-striping, and “check all the boxes and make sure we’re doing all we can.”
“They’re going to have to come out because they’re too dangerous,” Camillo continued. “At some point someone is going to get killed.”
“You have a small truck,” Bonney said to Camillo. “There’s pickup trucks with trailers behind them parking there – they’re four or five feet out into the lane.”
Bonney asked if there were any parking spots behind the stores where customers could park.
Mr. Caravella voiced his concerns during the meeting. He said not all the businesses in Cos Cob had been contacted.
“There are four or five other owners of businesses who would like to discuss which parking spaces and what options there might be,” Caravella said.
“They re-striped the Post Road over the past 30 years, they re-striped it incorrectly. So there is no parking on the south side, from Mead Ave down to the Trovare building, so if they skew the line over, you pick up two feet.”
He suggested a meeting between the businesses, the Dept of Transportation and Parking Services.
Camillo agreed and said he’d like to see those parking spaces replaced somehow.
The Selectmen did not vote on the amendment.
Striped parking on the south side of E Putnam Ave in front of the Trovare building.
Proposals from DC Bonney that were approved by the Selectmen included updating the traffic ordinance to No Parking or Standing on portions of Field Point Road and Shore Road, in the area of Belle Haven where landscaper trucks arrive early and idle.
They also voted to approve an increase in fees for parking permits, including Greenwich Plaza from $720 to $795. Bonney said the lot needs to be repaved and because the ceiling is low, the project needs to be done by hand at a cost of about $1million.
As for View Street West in Byram, they approved establishing a ‘No Parking’ zone within approximately 25 feet of the stop bar at the intersection of View Street West and High Street, and eliminate parking on approximately 100 feet on one side of View Street West.
One resident had opposed to the elimination of the on street parking. She suggested approving a shorter no parking section 25 ft instead of 100 ft, but Bonney explained the decision was based on traffic engineers use of a standard road width of at least 26 ft to allow parking on both sides. He said it is difficult for people to get out of their driveways when it is narrower.
Bonney said an engineering study had been completed and the change reflected state statute.
Gabriella Circosta-Cohee, deputy DPW commissioner said, “We are just recommending removing parking on one side of the street for 125 ft, and of course the 25 ft from a stop sign is state statute, so we’re recommending that signage be placed.”
The Selectmen voted unanimously to approve the no parking extension.
See also:
What to Know about Parking Related Amendments Proposed to Greenwich’s Traffic Ordinance
Aug 16, 2026