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Date: 11/20/2023
HADLEY — After hearing concerns about parking along North Lane, the Select Board unanimously approved measures for increased parking enforcement, restricting cars from parking along the dike area at the Connecticut River.
Public Works Director Scott McCarthy and Police Lieutenant Mitchell Kuc addressed board members regarding issues with improper parking leading to wear of the grass lined area.
“We’re starting to have a lot of erosion of the earth there from people trying to park off the road,” McCarthy said. “It’s just really causing a mess there, it’s very detrimental to the tree canopy, not to park on the roots, it’s very bad for our trees along that stretch of road.”
McCarthy also said that the volume of parking there often causes traffic to veer over the yellow roadway lines into the oncoming lane and signs prohibiting parking are already posted around the curved area of the roadway.
Board Member Randall Izer inquired about adding spaces for cars to park in the area.
“Is there any way we can increase the [adjacent] parking lot?” he said.
McCarthy responded that the Conservation Commission had limited the parking area and its current number of spaces, not allowing for any additions. Board Member Joyce Chuglo noted that parking was available at the Dawson Conservation area, although other board members agreed that space is limited.
McCarthy also stated that the town-owned property adjacent to the dike off the Connecticut River is worn down, also creating worries.
“There’s no more grass and that has been brought to our attention by the consultants who are looking at the dike,” McCarthy said. “It is concerning to them that there is no grass for stabilization at the top of the dike.” He added that attempts to replant grass there failed due to the constant foot traffic in the area.
Kuc, meanwhile, addressed current issues of parking enforcement at other areas of town property with board members.
“This would be another area we feel is appropriate to partner with Ernie’s Towing as much as we as a Police Department and obviously the town doesn’t want to be towing folks’ cars, unfortunately the only effective way we have found is to take this approach,” he said.
Kuc said there has been a reduction in issues at other areas as a result of the no parking and towing policies.
“We do see when Ernie’s Towing shows up somewhere, we see people come running quick,” he said. “And that’s probably the best lesson that folks can get, that near miss and spreading the word amongst the community saying, ‘you can’t really park there you’re going to get your car towed.’”
Chunglo asked what was to prevent people from parking on the common if they were suddenly restricted along North Lane and Kuc was quick to respond.
“Scott and I discussed that as a likely result of this,” Kuc said.
“Well, you know it’s going to happen,” Chunglo said. “That will be a given.”
Board Member Molly Keegan inquired about the possibility of creating parking on the other side of the dike for those who come to watch sunsets, walk their dog or themselves go for longer walks down the trail to Cemetery Road and back.
Board members asked about simply issuing tickets as opposed to towing were advised that the town routinely dismisses the ticket and the fine for a first violation, so those parking in the described area would have to do it a second time for enforcement and subsequent towing to occur and that even enforcement of non-payment of tickets is a significant process.
“It’s not that we don’t want people to come walk the dike and visit the dike, it’s causing an environmental problem on top of the dike,” McCarthy said.
Chunglo said the dike and the investment made by the town is the priority.
“I’m more interested in us protecting the dike than anything else whether or not people like to take a walk or not, she said. “This is something we paid over $600,000 for several years ago.”
Keegan concurred with Chunglo on the need to preserve the area.
“I’m sure many people will be disappointed, but I agree, I think protecting the area is the most important thing so I would be supportive of putting up signs,” she said.
Kuc stated the Police Department has no intention of responding in an aggressive manner once the No Parking and Tow Zone signs are installed.
“We’re not going to send tow trucks immediately,” he said. “Our response would be to go out there with a cruiser, sit there with the lights on and within 10 seconds someone is going to come running, we will approach this from an educational perspective at first.”
Agreeing that protecting the dike and the land area from further decay was the primary concern, the board voted to permit the DPW and the Police Department to install appropriately fashioned signage to reduce and discourage parking in the North Lane–Dawson Conservation area.