Stoneham residents fight winter parking ban, some overnight guests have to park on lawn
Residents of Stoneham, Massachusetts can park their cars overnight freely from the summer through the fall, but come winter, overnight parking comes with a ticket. Homeowners want to see a change.
The overnight parking ban starts December 1 and ends April 1. No street parking is allowed overnight whether or not there is inclement weather.
"This year I got one warning and last year I got two to three tickets," said resident Janine Lovuolo. "When it's not snowing, I should be able to park on the street."
Lovuolo has a short driveway that can't completely fit two cars. When they have people stay over, she said, "they've parked on my lawn."
"Most people have one car driveways, so it's like who is leaving first?" said fellow neighbor Tony Coward. "I have to check with my wife, I can't leave before you?"
Petition to change bylaws
Coward started a petition to try to get the town to change the bylaws to allow the parking ban to only be enforced during inclement winter weather.
"Other towns like Wakefield, Melrose, they have all modified their parking ban. I think Stoneham it's time," said Coward. "I used to live in the South End, and you would just move to a parking garage, but there is no parking garage in Stoneham."
The Stoneham Public Works Director Brett Gonsalves said that the ban was adjusted last year after a request, but it is a no-win situation. He explained over the phone to WBZ-TV's Mike Sullivan that if they allow street parking in the winter, they can't get sanding equipment down some of the narrow roads during minor snow and ice storms. Gonsalves said they then hear complaints from residents about the road conditions. He explained that it is a public safety issue.
He emphasized that another problem with street parking is that it makes it difficult for emergency vehicles to travel down the narrow roads as well.
Stoneham Police must enforce the bylaw, and they say they typically give warnings in the first few weeks. They aren't sure how many have been issued this season, but last year in total they had 412 parking tickets, however, that number includes other infractions.
"Can we issue resident parking passes, and say some people have parking? Can we say certain streets you can't park on?" said Coward. "I have kids that are going to be driving age in four years. What do we do then?"
He hopes to have an answer by then.