To the Editor:
As the longest-serving member of the Kearny Town Council and a candidate for mayor, I want to weigh in on permit parking.
First and foremost, permits would not guarantee a parking spot. Let me say this again — a parking permit will not guarantee residents a parking spot.
Neglia Engineers did a parking study a few years back and stated Kearny will never solve the parking problems because we have too many cars and not enough on-street parking.
That was not what we wanted to hear as a mayor and Council, so we hired a “parking guru,” or an expert for $25,000, to study the issue. Folks, I heard what I knew all along. There are not enough spaces but with parking permits, we could fine those who do not comply with “newly adopted ordinances.” We could establish a parking utility to enforce the rules at taxpayers’ expense.
I readily admit in the First and Second wards there is a situation that has existed for the last 40 years. No driveways, one-family homes now converted into two and three families, narrow streets, etc. What is the answer? I have not got a quick answer. What I can clearly say, I am not convinced that a parking utility is the answer, and nobody thus far has convinced me a parking utility is anything more than another tax burden to our residents.
I think two things would be helpful, however, as a start — for commercial vehicles to be off the streets by 7 p.m. and I think we should hire additional PVOs who work from 4 to 11 p.m. They could enforce parking that is permitted in the various approved lots and they could ticket commercial vehicles.
Council President Carol Jean Doyle
Candidate for Mayor
Kearny
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.