Huntington parking issues to be studied

For years, the busy weekend scene in downtown Huntington has presented a problem town leaders do not altogether mind having: a lack of parking.

"If you look at it in a positive light, to have a parking issue is a blessing, because it means we have a vibrant village," said Patricia Grant, a member of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce. "It is a problem nonetheless. That's why we decided to do a complete analysis of our parking issues and get recommendations."

A group called the Huntington Village Consortium recently formed to look at the problem and figure out a permanent parking solution. The group is composed of representatives from the Town of Huntington, the town's Economic Development Corporation, the Huntington Village Business Improvement District Association, the Paramount Theater and the chamber.

The consortium recently commissioned Manhattan-based Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates, which specializes in parking management planning, to analyze parking availability, parking flow, municipal parking lots and metered parking downtown.

The five consortium members will pay $7,906 each to fund the study.

Supervisor Frank Petrone said town officials have tried different solutions to alleviate some of the parking concerns, including extending surface parking in the eight municipal lots by more than 100 spaces.

"Everybody is of the opinion that there are different things that can be done," Petrone said, adding there was a lot of support for the study.

"Naturally, we are open to creative ways to alleviate some of the parking issues . . . and to help get the ball rolling on what needs to be done," Dominick Catoggio, an owner of the Paramount Theater, said.

Petrone said a parking structure -- long considered unwelcome in the downtown area -- will be discussed, but building one is not the goal. "That would be millions of dollars," he said. "Certainly you don't want to go out and spend that if you don't have to."

He said there may be other options. "The simplest thing is some long-term parking, looking at our parking lots and re-striping," Petrone said. "Now, the outcome could be a garage but how big? Is it needed right now? This study will answer all these questions."