TOWN OF HULL
Parking Study Committee Minutes
Date of Meeting: 11-8-2010 Meeting Start: 7:02 pm Meeting Adjourned: 9:15 pm
PARKING LOT ISSUES: identified at 9-26-10 meeting
TOPICS: Stickers
Attendance:
Member |
Present |
Absent |
|
|
John Brannan |
x |
|
|
781-635-4203 |
Dennis Zaia |
|
x |
|
781-799-0658 |
John Minnelli |
x |
|
|
781-789-1407 |
Amy Lemkin |
x |
|
|
781-925-9276 |
Bob Brady |
x |
|
|
781-773-1240 |
Audrey Cassevoy |
x |
|
|
781-864-7564 |
Moe Fishel |
x |
|
|
781-925-5224 |
Bob DeCoste |
x |
|
|
781-592-0580 |
Jean La Rochelle |
x |
|
|
781-925-5953 |
John Pucillo |
x |
|
|
617-510-3553 |
|
|
|
|
|
Introduction of Committee members to audience.
Sticker Program Discussion:
1) Goal is to be substantially complete with sticker discussion by night’s end.
2) Seasonal Pass for visitors:
- Moe: opens discussion regarding customer parking for local businesses. Fees as high as possible except for residents and their guests. Moe opens discussion regarding street parking in front of the home of local residents.
- Jim: Only residents with resident stickers should be entitled to procure guest passes. Indicated concern about access to parking in residential sections of town.
- John B: Indicates that his understanding is that recommendations will require town vote.
- Amy: Suggests need for two distinct parking proposals (residents, seasonal). Also suggests seasonal passes should be explored. Fears that addressing resident parking traditions might be Achilles heel for proposals.
- Moe: Notes committee is aware of parking procedures in Boston and Brookline, and that these regulatory schemes are time tested. Also noted that priority of any residential regulatory changes will be for the protection of residents from encroachment of seasonal beach goers.
- Audrey: Hull needs positive change for parking policies, shares anecdote of congested and limited neighborhood parking as way to highlight customary ways of resolving issues. Suggests sticker policy should be used to raise money for specific improvements, and that residents should get free stickers, however guest passes should be more closely scrutinized. Expresses concern about those who come to Hull and don’t give back to the town. Further, that first step should be addressing seasonal beach parking, then deal with residential issues.
- Amy: Concerned that there will be a domino effect if the residential issues are not addressed.
- John B: Notes root cause is infrastructure being antiquated and that enforcement is difficult because of this e.g. signage makes it difficult for code enforcement. Notes spillover parking caused by DCR and HRA parking lots being full.
- Jim: Premise is that if you are a Hull resident then you should be able to park near home. Sticker program would be first step and then guest of resident passes would be premise two. Third, how to off beach parking to town residents that do not live near main beach with municipal lots. Finally, address issue of seasonal Nantasket patrons. Notes need to address use of L street lots as an example. Agrees that incremental change is necessary. Build infrastructure of consistency within town.
- Jean: Hampton Circle
- John B: Nantasket Junction bus service to alleviate parking burden in Hull.
- Bob: Concern about signage funding via stickers.
- John P: Enforcement program will be necessity. Proposes the creation of Transportation Department. Suggests caution in dealing with issues like guest passes.
- John B: Approximately 9,000 automobiles in town according to recent assessors report. Segueway into description of foundation for program.
- John P: Concerned about abuse of visitor passes.
- John B: Town should consider getting control of HRA and DCR lots which would be free to residents of town with stickers, and then town could generate benefit from those huge lots.
- Public Attendee: “I really like the idea of residents having access to DCR and HRA lots to benefit town in ways that they currently do not.”
- Margerie Macleod Public Attendee: In favor of Transportation Department, and strict enforcement of policies in regard to non residents.
- John B: Chief of Police to meet with committee to discuss parking fees, enforcement, use of part time officers versus other options
- Jean: Question regarding use of funds from parking enforcement.
- John B: Chief of Police open to idea of Enterprise Fund for parking fees
- Alana Public Attendee: Concern about summer police additions and the fact that the population jumps from 11,000 to 40,000 once it is the summer. Further concern about seasonal police prioritizing time on crime issues. Further, discussion of towing and booting as the only means for policy to be effective. Suggests serious money would be generated from contract with local towing company. Expresses concern that whole length of Hull Shore Drive is free for all parking. Also notes that in order to have an Enterprise fund, must have an ordained committee. Discussion of creating line item budget provisions for parking enterprise fund.
- Amy: Proposes that committee is in agreement on several things and suggests making a list of agreement.
- John B: Dennis Zaia has typed his thoughts on the issues.
- Moe: Asks audience how they view the meeting’s agenda.
- Public Attendee: Save our spaces is general concern, but now feels that it is a good idea and that town people can be won over if it is presented clearly and openly.
- John B: many differing opinions on the study as a whole. Asked committee to talk about the facts as discussed, not to expand on issues not decided to keep confusion down.
- Committee reviewed Dennis’ Hull First Resident Parking Guidelines. (See document below)
Items of Agreement:
-Town wide sticker program which shall include reasonable fee.
-Resident sticker should include access to all municipal parking.
-Goal to get HRA and DCR back under municipal control.
-Creation of Parking Enterprise Fund.
-Better Signage.
-Parking Regulatory Enforcement should be priority.
Further Discussion:
-Sticker fee structure and qualification determinations.
-Policy for parking for guests of residents.
-How to determine who qualifies as resident for sticker purposes.
-Satellite parking and creating additional spaces.
-Business zones must be treated separately.
-Restricted on street parking vs. Neighborhood based parking.
-Visitor spaces in areas with parking shortages vs. guest passes.
Approval of Facebook Group: Moving Hull Forward: Hull First! Parking Policies for the 21st Century
Committee sees potential benefits of this group for the reasons articulated by Dennis:
“Dennis Zaia~This has the potential to get information to the folks who are serving on the Parking Study Committee from citizens who are not able to attend meetings in the evening.
Frequently a simply asked question from a citizen may open up a stream of thinking that may not have been explored previously at one of the meetings.”
Next Meeting Preparation:
Chief Billings and other associate will attend next meeting, members to be prepared with questions.
Committee agrees to consolidate questions for Chief and email them to John B by 11/17/10.
Items to consider for next meeting:
- Visitor Parking
- Restricted parking
- Questions for Police.
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