Does Roslyn have a parking problem? Most people, especially its businessmen, would say yes. Indeed, it remains the most nagging issue in the village. However, at a recent board of trustees meeting, an engineer working with Goodstein Realty declared that the village's parking problem is mostly a "perception." Robert Eichbacher, the engineer for Goodstein, later backed down somewhat from those comments, but his earlier assertion touched off a spirited debate.

Goodstein is applying for an additional 1,600-sq. ft. in office space for their one-story facility, currently located in downtown Roslyn. The company would also like additional municipal parking spots for the planned increase in their property. Specifically, they would like eight more parking spaces for both office and retail use.

When told by BOE members that there has long been a parking problem in Roslyn, Mr. Eichbacher disagreed, claiming that there are "over 100" parking spaces available at most given times in the village. He mentioned both municipal lots and meter parking. He also claimed that there is merely a "perception" that a parking problem exists. "Merchants want parking within a few spaces, in front of their store," he said. "But there are plenty of spaces within a reasonable walking distance" of most properties, Mr. Eichbacher added.

BOT member Nolan Myerson disputed Mr. Eichbacher's assertions, claiming they were the workings of an engineer's study, not, instead, based on the daily realities of life in the village.

"I've been here [in Roslyn] for 18 years, and with the exception of 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, I've never seen 27 [available parking spaces] on a Friday," Mr. Myerson said. "People don't have 45 minutes to drive around and look for parking." Mr. Myerson added that Roslyn is a "very dynamic village" with people coming and going all the time. While a study of the parking situation may "look great" the reality is that parking spots are not available in the village, a problem that remains a major reason why the village is losing business to other villages.

The Goodstein study further maintained that transients, those people going in and out of Roslyn, occupy only 14 percent of the parking spaces in the village. And while Mr. Eichbacher did admit to a parking problem in the village, he also said that the additional parking Goodstein needs for their proposed office expansion can be accommodated by the village. "The application will not have an adverse effect on parking in the village," he said. Once again, the BOT voted to table the application and consider at a future meeting.