Vernon considers permits for trail parking

VERNON — As part of continued efforts to address the increasingly overcrowded parking situation at the Appalachian Trail boardwalk on County Highway 517, the Vernon Township Council indicated it is considering implementation of a permit system for visiting vehicles.
Discussed at Monday’s meeting was a draft ordinance that would amend the township code to allow permit parking for trail visitors on Carol Drive, Old Glenwood Circle, Meadowlark Drive, Cove Court, Vleitstra Drive and Ivy Place. The current specs include a fee for permits — $25 for non-residents, according to comments made by Police Chief Randy Mills.
But the council said the draft under discussion was just a starting point, and encouraged feedback.
In response, Mills outlined a number of concerns, including the possibility that exorbitant fees would drive away tourists altogether and that a system without a limit to the number of permits would raise revenue for the town but not address the problem of too many people parking in a small area. The draft being discussed Monday did not include a limit on the number of permits issued, he noted.
“If we make it too easy for everyone to get permits, we haven’t solved the problem,” Mills said. “The idea is to get enough parking for a reasonable amount of people and then try to enforce it.”
Addressing other ideas, Mills indicated a shuttle bus running back and forth between a parking lot farther away wouldn’t work because visitors will likely try to park as close as they can before choosing to take a bus. Metered parking isn’t viable either because Route 517 is a county-owned road and residents likely don’t want parking meters in front of their houses on the side streets, he said.
Mayor Harry Shortway added that he met last week with the Director of Government Assistance from the state Department of Environmental Protection and suggested construction of a parking lot north of Ann Place across from the cemetery on state-owned property. A trail could be constructed from that lot to the boardwalk, he said, but the DEP shot down that idea because it would require removal of trees for the path. Shortway said he subsequently suggested a parcel swap to trade that state owned land for another plot of municipal-owned property so the town could move ahead with that idea on its own. However, he said one road block remains in the way for most solutions: money.
“The problem comes once again, who’s going to pay for it,” Shortway said. “I’ve talked to the AT Conservancy a number of times, the state, and the county, but the question comes down to who’s going to pay. No one’s bringing their checkbook with them and we can’t afford it.”
Mills said he’s planning to have a meeting with boardwalk locals on Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Center to discuss potential solutions for the boardwalk parking situation.