Pelham Parking Permit Prices to Increase

PELHAM, N.Y. – Pelham residents and commuters will soon be paying more to park their cars in the village.

The Village of Pelham Board of Trustees approved a resolution at Tuesday night’s meeting to raise the cost of parking permits for both residents and commuters. Merchant prices will not be affected.

The board decided to raise the rate for annual resident parking permits from $700 to $750. Annual commuter rates will increase from $1,400 to $1,500. Semi-annual, quarterly and monthly rates will also increase for both types of permits.

Mayor Ed Hotchkiss said that the merchants’ rates will not increase because the board wants to help the businesses in Pelham as much as it can. He said the village must also capitalize on the chance to make money.

“We want to maximize our revenue of all our assets in the village,” Hotchkiss said. “This is a big one for us.”

The new parking lot behind the village hall on Sparks Avenue will house dozens of commuter spots. Hotchkiss said the work done there justifies the higher price.

“We did a substantial improvement back here,” Hotchkiss said. “There deserves to be an increase in the rates.”

Drivers will also soon have to pay more at the few meters in the village that allow for 12-hour parking. Those meters on Harmon Avenue by the town house, First Street, Nyac Avenue and certain spaces in the lot behind the old post office on Fifth Avenue will now cost $1 per hour, instead of 75 cents.

Trustee Joseph Marty said that the board looked at other municipalities in the area and observed the systems in areas similar to Pelham, including Rye and Larchmont.

“This is not out of keeping with what our neighbors are doing,” Marty said.

Hotchkiss said that the price increase on the 12-hour meters should start “as soon as possible.”

What do you think of the increase in price for parking permits? Join the conversation, leave your comment below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @DailyPelham.

Contact Pelham reporter Andrew Meola at ameola@thedailypelham.com.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Pelham and receive free news updates.