Dering Harbor Board eyes parking rule: South Street change under consideration

Following May’s elections in the Village of Dering Harbor, Ari Benacerraf and Patrick Parcells were sworn in as Trustees at the June 10 Board meeting.

The Board took steps toward resolving an issue involving a portion of South Street. Residents George Birman and Philip Gubert of 6 South Street, had sought to have the village discontinue the road in front of their property and sell the land to them.

The Board opened a hearing on a possible solution, which would grant the 6 South Street owners license to maintain encroachments on the road. The Board did not hear from the adjacent neighbor at 4 South Street, Kim Dempster, as to whether she would also seek such license.

An attorney representing the Hunt family, which has fought the discontinuance and sale of the road in order to maintain access to their property, pointed out that some of the items covered by the proposed license, such as planters, were actually on the portion of the road in front of 4 South Street.

The Board adjourned the public hearing on the licenses to the July 8 meeting to allow time for Village Counsel Wayne Bruyn to work with Mr. Birman and Mr. Gubert and their attorney on a new draft of the license resolution, and determine if Ms. Dempster wished to have a license considered as well.

During a hearing on a related motion to permit parking on South Street, which would resolve the lack of space that had led to encroachments, Mr. Birman asked if the parking could be limited to residents of that street, not allowing other Village residents to park there for parties, for example, or non-Village residents to leave cars there while touring the Village on foot.

Mr. Bruyn said he would look at options for the Village to limit parking. The hearing on the parking motion was also adjourned to July.