Glen Cove restricts parking on Valentine Ave.

Glen Cove officials have agreed to prohibit parking on both sides of a stretch of Valentine Avenue in what several trustees and residents lauded as a safety precaution.

In restrictions set to go into effect Monday, vehicles will not be permitted to park on the north side of Valentine Avenue from Glen Cove Avenue east for 270 feet, or on the south side from Glen Cove Avenue east for 222 feet.

The City Council approved the changes with a unanimous 7-0 vote at Tuesday’s meeting.

William Lovett, who lives on Valentine Avenue, applauded the new restrictions, saying drivers dashing into the Starbucks cafe and utility workers accessing a nearby utility box often clog the narrow street with their vehicles.

“It’s been congested that way since Starbucks came in,” he said. “It’s a dangerous situation.”

The City Council also considered prohibiting parking in early-morning hours on portions of School, Bridge and Glen streets in the downtown area to improve snow removal. The ban discussed would be from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. for Bridge and Glen streets, and from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. for School Street.

John Zozzaro, co-owner of the Downtown Cafe on School Street, argued that the early-morning restrictions would inconvenience patrons of his bar, which sometimes remains open until 4 a.m.

The public hearing on the downtown parking restrictions is to continue at the council’s next meeting, Feb. 14.

Above: Glen Cove City Hall