Riverhead officials are preparing to seek proposals for a townwide parking management system that could eventually tie together downtown parking enforcement, beach permits, code enforcement and the town justice court.
But at a Sept. 3 Town Board work session, the long-term technology discussion repeatedly returned to a more immediate concern: how to keep downtown businesses accessible while construction continues to squeeze available parking.
Parking consultant Kevin Wood told the board the town should issue a request for proposals for a unified parking enforcement and permitting platform, calling it “the right, transparent thing to do” as Riverhead looks at “upgrading and modernizing the system as a whole.”
The system under discussion could include handheld ticketing devices, automated license plate readers, digital parking and beach permits, QR-code ticket payments and real-time data on parking violations and turnover. Officials said the goal is to move away from handwritten tickets and siloed systems currently used by different departments.
Dawn Thomas, the town’s community development administrator, said handheld ticketing devices could allow officers to scan registrations, select violations from a drop-down menu, print waterproof tickets with photographs and upload the information automatically to the justice court system. The printed tickets could include QR codes allowing violators to pay online quickly.
Thomas said the point is to create “not a handwritten ticket” system and reduce delays that now occur before a parking ticket appears in the payment system.
Wood said the town’s current parking-related systems are fragmented. The town already uses GoGov for some permits, including beach-related permits, while the court has worked with FBS for citation management. But officials said GoGov does not currently have an API to connect with other systems and that many existing permit records do not include license plate numbers, complicating any move toward a “plate as permit” system.
The police department has made automated license plate reader capability a priority, Council Member Denise Merrifield said, because officers do not have the staffing to walk large lots checking vehicles one by one.
Board members also raised privacy concerns about license plate and permit data. Council Member Ken Rothwell said any future agreement should ensure the information remains in a closed town-controlled system and is not shared with outside vendors or used for unrelated marketing.
The discussion also covered beach permits, where recreation staff said the town handles thousands of parking permits each year, including resident, senior, boat trailer, 4×4, guest and event-related passes. Staff said a fully digital system would have to account for residents who still apply in person, same-day beach sticker purchases, proof of residency, insurance documentation for beach-driving permits, swim lesson participants and special events.
Officials appeared to favor a gradual transition rather than an immediate end to physical stickers or hangtags.
Wood said the town should aim to deploy a new system in early 2027, but several board members cautioned that policy questions remain unresolved, including whether Riverhead should eventually charge for parking in some lots, allow reserved parking for downtown venues, create validation programs with restaurants or vary rules by lot, season or time of day.
Rothwell said the board should not lose sight of the present downtown parking crunch while studying future paid-parking options. He urged the town to look at temporary spaces along Heidi Behr Way and other areas affected by construction.
“There’s like 20 spots in there that once he starts, you’re going to lose that again,” Rothwell said of expected Town Square construction impacts. “We cannot stifle businesses during this.”
Rothwell said the town should consider striping portions of Heidi Behr Way for temporary parking during construction and focus on short-term relief for restaurants and residents before moving too far into paid parking.
“I don’t want to plan the future and kill the now,” he said.
Board members also discussed recent changes to Lots 5 and 6 behind downtown restaurants, where two-hour parking limits have been posted and are being enforced. Merrifield said the change was requested by the Chamber of Commerce and the town parking committee and appears to have opened up spaces for restaurant customers.
She also said the town issued a notice to cure to Heatherwood over eight parking spaces that had been taken away, and said those spaces were expected to be restored by Sept. 18 after removal and repaving work.
Thomas said the two-hour limits were intended to create turnover for businesses while still allowing nearby residents to park overnight after enforcement hours end.
The Town Board is expected to continue the parking discussion at future work sessions. Wood said the next presentation should be followed by “at least two more meetings.”
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
