August 31, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 7 Allendale Parking revision adopted after objection registered by John Koster The revision of Allendale’s parking map at the railroad station was approved last week after Mayor Vince Barra and the council heard from Warren Kaufman, a commuter who objected to the change. The new parking ordinance will permit two-hour shopper parking in 22 spaces that had been used by commuters, but will permit commuter parking -- which Mayor Barra said should be adequate for the demands of commuters who take the trains to New York City -- a little farther from the shopping district. “The parking lot is filled every day by the time I get on the train at 8:58 and it is going to be a problem,” Kaufman said. “You are creating a problem for the residents who park. We pay the bills. The Chamber of Commerce, nice people all, don’t need these spots. It’s grossly unfair that you folks are doing this to us. It’s going to immediately become a problem when the weather changes and it’s dark in that lot at night. I know you guys don’t know it, because you’re not commuters, but I am.” “The other residents who had a problem complimented the council on what they had done,” Mayor Barra said. “We’ve taken the 22 parking spaces because the area was adjacent to the other shopper parking, and we are moving the meters farther down the lot so that they will be closer to the train.” The sticking point between Mayor Barra and Kaufman was that Kaufman quoted Barra as saying that the 22 parking spaces being changed were under-utilized, which Kaufman said that not true. Barra said he had never said the 22 spaces were under-utilized. The mayor said he had previously stated that the entire parking lot was under-utilized and that the 22 spaces could be designed for shopper use without jeopardizing parking spaces for commuters which might to farther from the shopping district, but would always be ample for commuters to New York City. “I never said that the entire 22 spots were under-utilized,” Mayor Barra asserted. He invited Kaufman to obtain a copy of the transcripts or the recording of the meeting. Mayor Barra also said that a letter by Kaufman published in another newspaper had misrepresented what Barra had said. “What I said was that the far end of the parking lot, 50 to 60 spaces, are not utilized,” Barra told Kaufman. The ordinance as adopted last week established resident parking spaces for the entire west side parking area and 52 spaces in the east side parking lot. These spots are for bona fide residents of the Borough of Allendale. General parking for commuters on the railroad who are not Allendale residents has been established in the east side parking lot. The ordinance effectively establishes a total of 34 shopper parking spaces in the east side parking lot with a two-hour limit. Commuter parking spaces shall become shopper parking spaces from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. the following morning. The ordinance established 12 metered parking spaces in the east side parking area for daily commuters, with no permits required.