Update, 2:00pm: Republican Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro explained that Chief of Police Heavey has personally inspected the parking situation at GHS, and dispatched upwards of six officers to manage parking and traffic.
“If a voter votes at Greenwich High, they should feel comfortable heading to the polls at any time,” DeCaro said. “If they wish to be doubly-certain and wait until all teachers have vacated around 3:45PM, that’s also an option.”
At about 1:00pm there was no line to turn into Hillside or into the parking lot. Behind the building (by performing arts center) there were free parking spots in the area reserved for voters.
But at the front of the campus, parking was maxed out. Cars were parked, with police permission, along the active lane of northbound traffic on Hillside Rd (which is normally no parking or stopping at any time).
There were also cars parked where normally not allowed including on the grass and in yellow striped no parking areas.
Update 11:30am: Kim Eves at Greenwich Schools said the district usually holds professional development at Greenwich High School on election day, and that staff will be gone by 3:00pm or so.
Original story: 10:15am. Greenwich Police Captain Kraig Gray released a statement around 10:00am Tuesday morning, election day, about a situation at Greenwich High School, election polling place no. 7.
Captain Gray said there was the situation was “a conflict between the school’s normal use and the polling area resulting in a lack of parking.”
Gray said police have reassigned several officers to Greenwich High School.
“We have found parking and the situation has been resolved,” he said in an audio statement. “Anyone with issues should respond to the polling place and officers will direct them to the right location.”
In an email around 9:00am, a resident of Maple Ave described the situation as intolerable.
“It took a half an your to turn onto Hillside Road and another half hour to turn into the parking lot, only to find absolutely no available parking,” she wrote. “The town in its wisdom scheduled a huge teachers conference that has taken up all available parking and made the polling place inaccessible.”
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill reminds voters to contact the state election hotline at 866-SEEC-INFO or email [email protected] if they encounter issues voting.
