NARRAGANSETT — Less than two weeks after they agreed to a temporary parking plan with Gilbane Development Co., Town Council members last night voted 3 to 2 to reject that plan, with some members returning to their argument that Gilbane should not be reserving spaces for a new high-end restaurant.

The vote, opposed by members T. Brian Handrigan and Krista J. Garrett, followed a 30-minute discussion about the proposed temporary plan and parking in the Pier area — a hot issue since the 275-seat Trio restaurant opened on Kingstown Road in May.

The temporary plan was supposed to resolve, for this summer, the conflict between Gilbane erecting Trio-only parking signs that reserved more than 70 spaces and other businesses and entities, such as the town library, also needing spaces.

Following a workshop on July 10, Gilbane had agreed to remove the signs affecting 12 spaces near the town library, freeing them for public use. The company also agreed to take down roughly half the Trio-only signs it had put up, leaving about 11, that would reserve more than 60 spaces.

But last night, council members again raised concerns.

Councilman Christopher Wilkens pointed to an informal town review of parking levels in the Gilbane-owned Pier Village Marketplace from June 16 to July 13. The informal review suggested that there is enough parking for all the businesses in the area, which means the Trio-only signs are not necessary, Wilkens said.

Councilman James P. Durkin objected to the number of Trio-only signs, which Gilbane last night was proposing to lower to 10, one less than they had agreed to.

Councilman George F. Lenihan Jr. said Gilbane employees and customers use other spaces in the area, while the designated spaces are often unused.

“You can’t have it both ways,” he said.

Gilbane did get some support.

While Town Solicitor Mark A. McSally has said he believes the Trio-only signs are illegal because they are not on a council-approved site plan, Handrigan noted that Gilbane disagrees with that view.

“Gilbane feels that the signs are legal,” he said. “It’s not cut and dry that the town is a hundred percent until it’s proven in court.”

Court may be where the parking and sign issue is headed.

Building Inspector Anthony L. Santilli Jr. ordered Gilbane in June to remove all the designated parking signs in Pier Village Marketplace — those for Trio and those for Belmont Market, Pier Liquors and the Oceanside Condominiums.

The town did not enforce the order because the two sides were talking, but now that the temporary plan has been rejected, Santilli will probably take the next step and bring the matter to Municipal Court, McSally said.

“I would expect that he’s probably going to be issuing summonses as soon as he and I speak again,” he said.

Robert Gagliardi, Gilbane’s director of property management, said after last night’s discussion that the company will honor its commitment to reduce the number of Trio-only signs to 10. The company has already removed the signs affecting the 12 spaces near the library.

“We want to take the high road on this,” he said.

The company will also see if the reference to violators being towed can be removed from the signs, as requested by Garrett, who complained about the language but opposed the motion to reject the temporary plan.

redgar@projo.com