MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA

Transcription

1 MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA PARKING CLERK TOWN HALL Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts Telephone (978) FAX (978) SUMMARY REPORT OF AD-HOC PARKING COMMITTEE January 14, 2016 MEMBERS: Jack Burke, Chair David Demeter, Vice Chair Denise Samolchuk, Parking Clerk Lt. Todd Fitzgerald, Police Paul Barclay, Board of Selectmen Cheryl Marshall, Parks/Recreation Director Kurt Svetaka, Bike/Pedestrian Committee Ron Mastriogiacomo, Planning Board Ben Rossi, Downtown Improvement Committee CHARGE: The Parking Ad-Hoc Committee will be charged with reviewing all parking regulations in town at present. This would include, but not limited to, parking regulations presently in place, on-street parking, off-street parking, time limits on parking, location of resident and non-resident parking spaces in parking lots, parking at parks and beaches, parking in town owned lots, snow emergency notifications and parking, parking placards being issued, fines in place for violations and enforcement of the present parking regulations. The Ad-Hoc Parking Committee has met 5 times to review the current parking regulations in town. Below is a summary of recommendations which the committee now submits to the Board of Selectmen for their consideration. Downtown Parking 1. Eliminate street parking starting immediately after the entrance to the Club Excel parking lot on lower School St. and ending right before the crosswalk at the intersection of School St. and Central St. (Approximately 4 spots). 2. Create 4 new parking spots: two 2 hour only parking spots on Union St. in front of the entrance to the Library and two 2 hour parking spots parallel to the COA Van parking spots at the side of the roadway. 3. Change 2 existing parking spots in front of 4 Season Dry Cleaners from 2 hour parking to 15 minute only parking from 8am-6pm. 4. Adding a new No Parking Here to Corner sign in front of Seaside One on Central St. before the entrance to the Town Hall Parking Lot. 1

2 Town Hall Lot 1. That the three 30 minute parking spots behind Seaside One each get their own sign and that the Police strictly enforce the time limit. 2. That the signage in the Boater Placard Parking area be updated with larger and more signage and that the Police strictly enforce the regulations. 3. The Police review the signage in the Town Hall lot to determine if the current signage is adequate or needs to be updated. 4. Install new signage in the Town Hall lot, including the Boater Parking area, prohibiting all trailer parking, commercial or private. 5. Create 2 Town Employee Only parking spots in the Town Hall lot just to the right of the Boat Ramp. Parking on Sidewalks Parking on sidewalks is already prohibited throughout town but it is not effectively enforced. The committee feels strongly that parking on sidewalks creates a safety issue, especially in the downtown area. The ADA Committee strongly agrees with enforcement of No Parking on Sidewalks. If the Selectmen were to recommend better enforcement, the Parking Committee feels educating the public and providing a warning period, perhaps with flyers placed on windshields of violators, might be a good solution. 1. Police must strictly enforce the existing No Parking on Sidewalks by-law, especially on the main streets in town. The Committee recognizes that enforcement will move the cars off the curb and into the street which could create a situation where the center line painted on the street would need to be off-set to accommodate the parking. In areas where the lane is then too narrow, the police would recommend if the regulations should be changed to No Parking. General Parking 1. No parking on the west side of School Street from the Route 128 intersection to the Pleasant Street intersection. 2. New signage indicating No Parking on the northern portion of Route 127, from Pine Street to the Beverly town line. We request that the BOS ask the State DOT to install where needed No Parking on State Highway signs on the State Highway section of Route 127. It is our understanding that Representative Brad Hill has discussed this with DOT but the BOS has to make the request. This would be for Route 127 to the Beverly line and to the Gloucester line. The Committee also met with representatives from the ADA Committee who recommends making the unofficial handicapped parking spot behind the First Parish Church an official spot. Further action will be taken by the ADA Committee. 2

3 Singing Beach The consensus of the committee is that current signage is inadequate given that driver s do not stop at the entrance to read the detailed sign and that, once they are in the lot, the only signs are behind them indicating where non-residents can park. Discussion included installing more signs and simplifying the regulations. The Singing Beach parking lot has 125 parking spaces. 1. Change the date that non-residents are allowed to park in the Singing Beach Parking Lot to be the same as for Dogs on the Beach to eliminate confusion. Change start date from October 1 st each year to October 14 th each year Change end date from May 1 st each year to April 15 th each year 2. Improve the location and signage at the Singing Beach Parking Lot to improve flow, order and provide better directions for parking lot users or for any other need. White Beach 1. The number of parking signs at White Beach be increased. Masconomo Park Area This parking lot handles a lot of differing parking needs for town residents and businesses, including train commuter parking, business placard parking (OK in resident only spaces), boater parking and recreation parking. The consensus of the committee is that more resident only parking is needed in this lot to 6 new resident only parking spaces be added in the grassy area across from Morss Pier, adjacent to the current resident parking spaces. 2. Eliminate the current location of all Handicapped spaces and move them to a new location as follows (this vote was taken in conjunction with members of the ADA Committee in attendance): 1 Handicapped Van (2 spaces) and 1 Handicapped space across from Morss Pier to be located nearest the entry point to the Park. 1 Handicapped Van (2 spaces) at the far entrance to the Park from the lot, nearest the bandstand. 3. Create new parking spaces as follows: On Beach Street, from the intersection of Tappan Street to the intersection of Old Neck Road, create up to 25 new 2 hour only parking spots on the Park side of the street. 4. Change the parking spots located in between the Manchester Harbor Boat Club ramp access walkway and the hashtag on the asphalt located towards the curve of the parking lot (9 spaces) from non-resident/open to resident parking only/tow zone. 3

4 Sweeney Park The committee felt there were no parking regulations at Sweeney Park that needed attention. Tucks Point 1. A Parking Attendant continue to control parking on the weekends at Tucks Point. Yearly Parking Placards 1. Raise the price of the Business Parking Placard from $10 to $15 per Placard. The Parking Clerk issues approximately 110 Business Parking Placards per year. 2. Raise the Boater Parking Placard fee from $10 to $25 for residents and $50 for non-residents. The Parking Clerk issues approximately 55 Boater Parking Placards per year. 3. Raise the Mooring Permit Parking Placard fee from $25 to $50. The Parking Clerk issues approximately 35 Mooring Parking Placards per year with valid mooring permit for parking at Tucks Point only. The Committee agreed that no recommendations were necessary for Nanny Pass Placards. The Parking Clerk issues approximately 15 Nanny Pass Parking Placards per year. Temporary Parking Placards Under the current regulations, any resident can write a letter stating they have family or friends staying with them for a period of time (even the whole summer) and they can purchase a Temporary Parking Placard for $25 for a vehicle, which then gives that guest all the privileges of a Beach Sticker. The Parking Clerk is aware that residents abuse this regulation, in effect giving their children who live nearby unlimited parking access in town. Renters, with valid lease of one week or more, are also eligible to purchase a placard. Renters who lease for at least 1 year are considered residents. More and more short term renters and an increase in residents who take advantage of this regulation has increased the number of Temporary Parking Placards being issued every year. In 2015, the Parking Clerk issued 125 Temporary Parking Placards. 4. Change the regulations for short term renters to create a new category: Temporary Summer Rental Parking Placards as follows: Temporary Summer Rental Parking Placards are available at a cost of $50 per week (7 day period) for visitors renting a property in the Town of Manchester. A valid lease or contract must be presented at the time of purchase. 5. Eliminate the Temporary Parking Permit and regulations for visiting relatives/guests. 4

5 The committee reviewed the regulations for Non-resident property owners and felt that the wording of the regulation could use an update to make it clearer, specifically as it relates to trusts/beneficiaries, and family of property owners but did not vote for any specific recommendations. Parking Fees, Fines and Enforcement 1. Raise the price of a Beach Sticker from $25 to $35 and leave the price of a Senior Beach Sticker at $ Raise the parking fine from $25 to $35. This is governed by state law. The method to increase the fine is for the Board of Selectmen and Town Counsel to petition the state. 3. Consider hiring a part-time Parking Enforcement Officer with a vehicle to work from May 15th to October 15 th. The Town currently hires 2 part-time PEO s during the height of the summer who walk through town. 4. The Police to strictly enforce the 2 hour parking limit and to double ticket when necessary. Parking Tickets Lt. Todd Fitzgerald and Parking Clerk Denise Samolchuk are currently reviewing the cost and feasibility of upgrading the electronic handheld ticketing devices so that each police vehicle would have a device which could be kept charged and data uploaded from the vehicle. Under the current system, the devices must be brought into the station and charged and uploaded there. The officers also hand write tickets. Parking revenue for the last few years is a follows: 2011: $43, : $39, : $19, : $32, : $30,870 Consistent enforcement greatly increases the revenue. 5