Village to Remove "No Parking" Signs on Burkhard Avenue

The department of public works has decided to lift a "No Parking" restriction on Burkhard Avenue. The decision comes after the village board received a petition signed by 14 of the 19 homes on the street, representing about two-thirds of the residents.

The parking ordinance affected the area of Burkhard Avenue from Jericho Turnpike to McNeil Place. "Historically it was installed there given its proximity to Jericho Turnpike and some of the commercial properties there," superintendent of public works Thomas Rini said at Wednesday's board meeting. 

Both Friendly's and Distinctive Floral Design are on the corner of Burkhard Avenue and Jericho Turnpike while popular catering venue Jericho Terrace lies directly across Route 25. The restriction was put in place several years ago in order to stem overflow parking from these businesses into the residential area.

Rini originally asked to remove the signs for a trial period only. "I'll certainly save the signs," he said, "so if they need to go back up, they'll go right back up." But Mayor Jack Martins saw no need to remove the signs as a temporary measure.

"Often times, the underlying causes for the restrictions themselves no longer exist, even though the restrictions were never amended to correspond to the current conditions," Martins said. "Approximately two-thirds of the residents on the whole block have asked us to reconsider."

The parking restriction affected both sides of the block, so no on-street parking was allowed during the specified hours.  All "No Parking 9p.m. to 7a.m." signs between Jericho Turnpike and McNeil Place will be removed. If an issue should arise with the removal of the parking restriction, Rini said the village board will relook at the issue as a public works matter.