New Overnight Parking Restrictions Target Noise Problems in Port Chester

In efforts to calm down noise and rowdiness in the wee hours of the morning, Port Chester has decided to enact new restrictions on parking along a section of North Main Street.

The village Board of Trustees voted 6-0 Tuesday night to expand the "no parking" period from the current 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. on North Main Street from the Metro-North railroad bridge to the Connecticut state line.

Village Manager Christopher Steers said the new rules will take about a week and a half to go into effect.

The affected area has been the subject of long-standing complaints from North Main Street residents who say the neighborhood is made difficult to live in because of patrons of local bars and clubs. Additionally, they have consistently complained about noise from the patrons and from the businesses.

North Main Street resident Sean McNerney told village officials he believes the new parking restrictions should help police in their efforts to control early-morning problems that arise frequently in the neighborhood.

Last year, a home security camera installed by McNerney on his porch captured video of incidents that shocked the community, including the repeated robbery of a Port Chester man passed out on the sidewalk in front of McNerney's home. McNerney said Tuesday night that he believes police would be able to spot issues like last year's incident if their view were not blocked by parked — and double parked — cars during the early-morning hours.

Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla said the Board of Trustees had last year's incident in mind when the new parking limits were proposed.

McNerney said he and his neighbors favor the new restrictions, even though the residents will also have less flexibility in parking.

At Tuesday's village Board of Trustees session that approved the new parking rules, village trustees also asked Port Chester Police Chief Joseph Krzeminski and other village officials to examine steps and changes to local regulations that can be taken to reduce noise problems related to bars and clubs.

Trustee Bart Didden suggested the village obtain noise monitoring equipment that police officers could use in their enforcement efforts. Didden contends the village could sucessfully train its employees to use noise monitoring gear.

Krzeminski, however, said information from other area police departments on the use of noise monitoring gear indicated a variety of problems in the practical application of the equipment in enforcement efforts.

During the public comments portion of Tuesday's village meeting, McNerney said he purchased a noise monitoring device for use at his own home so he could assess the level of noise coming from nearby bars.