For several years now, the town has leased the parking lot on the corner of Church and Thames streets for the summer, to be used as daytime parking — a restriction that was noted on signs at …
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For several years now, the town has leased the parking lot on the corner of Church and Thames streets for the summer, to be used as daytime parking — a restriction that was noted on signs at the entrance and occasionally enforced with tickets when parkers overstayed their welcome.
That all changed around the July 4 holiday, when new signs were erected, indicating that overnight parking is permitted, for a $10 nightly fee. Parking passes can be purchased at the Harbormaster’s office in the Maritime Center, on the Church Street Dock. Alternatively, parkers returning to their cars in the morning will find a parking pass on the windshield that can then be paid in person, or by mail.
“Sometimes people are in a rush to catch the [Prudence Island] ferry, and don’t have time to stop in and pre-pay, and that’s fine,” said Jennifer Alves, administrative assistant to Harbormaster Gregg Marsili. “We want to make this as easy as possible.”
In that spirit, people have a little bit of time to pay — unofficially 7 to 10 days, or so. That’s not to say the $10 fee noted on that parking pass is merely a suggested donation. According to Town Administrator Steven Contente, unpaid parking passes will ultimately be treated like unpaid parking tickets.
Enforcement hours are somewhat fluid — typically personnel from the Harbormaster’s office will walk the lot before leaving in the evening, and again when arriving at about 8 a.m. Cars present at both walk-throughs will be issued passes.
The program is expected to remain in effect into October, with the official end date weather dependent. Until then, the Harbormaster’s office is open seven days a week until 9 p.m.; 10 p.m on Saturdays and 8 p.m. on Sundays.