On the edge of the Forest Hills neighborhood on Reservoir Avenue sits a bank, Domestic Bank, which at this location has more than 120 employees but less than 60 employee parking spaces. As you can imagine, the surrounding streets are what the overflow of employee vehicles use as their parking lot.
Forest Hills homeowners have been fighting with Domestic Bank for more than 10 years to try to get them to be good neighbors and take responsibility for the parking troubles they cause.
Years ago, the bank purchased three houses behind their building with the intent of building a large drive-thru teller structure. This expansion was blocked by the neighbors and City planners, and the houses sat vacant for years. Eventually, the structures were demolished by the bank and haphazardly turned into a 15,000 sq ft dirt lot.
Some employee vehicles were parked in the dirt lot from time to time. No improvements were made upon the lot (in violation of City code) and last year the City moved to issue a cease and desist order to the bank until they brought the dirt lot into compliance.
The dirt lot sat unimproved for another year as Domestic Bank dragged their feet out of spite and fought the City at every turn. They then found a champion in City Council President Aram Garabedian, who in the past could be counted as a friend of the little guy. Sadly, those days are gone.
Mr. Garabedian entertained every request the bank made and often shouted down the residents and berated them when they rose to make their concerns heard.
Eventually, the lot was improved in accordance with City code (after another three month delay supported by Mr. Garabedian) and approximately 48 vehicles were taken off the streets. You will recall that Domestic Bank has in excess of 120 employees, so many vehicles are still on our streets.
Forest Hills residents maintain that Domestic Bank has outgrown its current facility and that the only way residents can ensure the right to quiet enjoyment of our properties is by a resident parking permit program. This program would serve as a strong incentive for businesses to be good neighbors and expand responsibly.
Mr. Garabedian, who in the past has successfully blocked businesses from developing in his neighborhood, quickly declared a resident parking permit program to be “anti-business.” How he can outright block businesses from opening in his neighborhood, yet refuse our neighborhood a manner in which to address bad business expansion, is the height of hypocrisy.
The permit parking ordinance that would help all neighborhoods in the City deal with bad-neighbor businesses was scheduled for last night’s Ordinance Committee meeting. Domestic Bank ordered those vehicles that could not fit into the lot to park as far away as possible so that empty streets could be used for a “see, everything is perfect” photo opportunity. Mr. Garabedian lobbied many of his business friends to speak out against the ordinance as anti-business, and apparently participated in the staging of an “expert witness” to give “testimony.”
It was quite the performance by Mr. Garabedian and Co., with staged photos and impassioned pleas from businessowners who live outside of Cranston. I must confess to walking out of the meeting when Mr. Garabedian immediately climbed up on his high horse and began shouting at the audience in a condescending manner. I could still hear him bellowing and banging his fist on his desk in the corridor. Like many of you, I will not sit quietly while an elected official, of all people, yells at me.
Over the last few months various councilmembers have made vague statements of quasi support for resident parking, with the exception of Councilmembers Barone, McFarland and Navarro, who have been outspoken in their support. We watched Councilmember Lanni paint this ordinance as a tool to exert political pressure on him (it’s all about him, you know) and didn’t hear a peep from Councilmember Bucci, who didn’t even bother to attend last night’s meeting.
During the comment portion of the meeting, we were pleased to hear Councilman Lupino state his support and shocked to hear Councilmember Santamaria say he wouldn’t support it after leading us to believe otherwise. Mr. Santamaria even went as far to say that “100% of my constituents don’t support resident permit parking.” Memo to Mr. Santamaria - Knightsville has a few parking problems of its own…I’m sure there was at least one person who liked the idea. Perhaps it was Councilmember Lanni’s boot on your neck that altered your perception?
So in the end, the resident parking permit ordinance was supported by Barone and McFarland (Navarro does not sit on the committee and cannot vote) and opposed by Garabedian, Lanni and Santamaria. The ordinance died 3-2. [UPDATE: Councilman Barone made a motion to approve but it was not seconded - Councilwoman McFarland did not support the ordinance as written but indicated she was open to amendments (the substance of which we may never know.)
I would like to thank Richard Brown, representing Save Cranston’s Open Space for attending and supporting our cause. I’m sure you just earned your group a few more volunteers.
As for Garabedian and Co., you have shown that you hold residents to be a bunch of chumps to be humored for a few weeks before election day. Of course, that is far from the truth, and you’ll learn that lesson in the 2008 election season.