Shop 'Till You Drop Now That Parking Restrictions Lifted

Two-hour parking for December in the hopes that shoppers will spend lots of time in East Hampton this holiday season.

"I think it's the intent of this board, recognizing the continuing soft economy, that this might assist our shopkeepers and businesses and commercial locations to have a better handle on potential retail activity," said Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. on Thursday.

The village board unanimously passed a resolution amending the parking code after a public hearing at its work session. The amendment applies to the two-hour parking limit in Robert G. Reutershan and Barnes Schenck Municipal Parking Lots. The current regulations last from April through the end of December in an effort to promote turnover and exclude shop employees from taking up potential customers' parking spots.

No one spoke for or against the amendment at the hearing.

In recent years, the village had noticed a drop-off in visitors. Village Administrator Larry Cantwell said last week that just over 40,000 parking passes were issued from the Reutershan and Schenck lots in December of 2010 (compared with 142,000 in August, the village's busiest month). This compared to 67,000 in 2007.

Rickenbach said he still encourages business owners, managers and employees of shops to park in the . "That would just further assist what we're trying to do today," he said.

One-hour restrictions along Newtown Lane and Main Street will remain the same.