4.19.2023 Traffic Board

all right it's four o'clock we're gonna get started with traffic board meeting um before we get cracking soon to open law meeting any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and

permissible before we get started I'll introduce myself Sergeant Lewis Duart I recently signed as the traffic enforcement unit Commander um I'll be filling in all the duties they're under um go forward to this new position um motion to accept the minutes from the last meeting seconds motion pass right I've asked that everyone bears with me being my first time I'm sure I'm going to go out of order at some point

okay uh first on oh I'm sorry other any persons here from the public that are here thank you so anyone that is not on the edge I know sometimes it just stop showing them on yes

hi hello this is my first time too so we'll get through it together okay great so my issue is with I I've spoken to someone at the traffic department I'm not sure who um so it's with the Deaconess homes and the Prospect and High Street area a lot of issues going on there so it's going on 26 years that I live right on the corner of Prospect and High Street

a lot of issues going on there a lot of accidents right on on that corner there not sure if that rings a bell but um for the last 10 years they converted the house directly across the street from us it used to be a two family home and they turned it into offices for the Deaconess homes and now all the workers there I don't know how many workers they have but they

took over the whole street they Park five days a week Monday through Friday all over Prospect Street and High Street on both sides of the street they're working there they're working there so all day every day nine to five Monday through Friday they take over the whole street and there now there's a total um construction or working because they're employees there so it's an office

building they're employees at the office building but there's also three maintenance guys that drive trucks and drive and and park there not every day but are also there's like four Deaconess homes in that block in that one block so are you guys familiar with the Deaconess homes that I'm speaking about okay so there's four of them so this I don't know how many workers in total with

those four homes plus visitors that come in and out and workers social workers all kinds of people constantly on a daily basis coming in and out parking I literally leave my home to bring my son to school I come back 10 minutes later my parking spot's gone I go to the grocery spot on the street on the street um but I live on a corner home I pay extra money in taxes I can't I don't

have a spot in the front of my house or on the side of the house they take the front on the public Street yeah it is a public street but they take prospects and they take high they don't only take one street they take both I pay extra to have a corner home I pay extra to live in the in the historic area also because I live in the historic area

I I am responsible for keeping the sidewalks clean in the winter time cleaning the snow Everything clean everything off for them to go park there and everything and I'm liable if they fall on my sidewalk um it's just very frustrating the issue is I I pay like seven thousand dollars just from my my condo and then the other condo they pay like over three thousand so all together in our home we pay close

to eleven thousand dollars in taxes to the city and we have no parking on on up the street I I just I I just want one spot in front or on the side of my home and I don't have it only on the weekend Monday through Friday I don't have it I go grocery shopping I come back I don't have a spot to unload my groceries I have my son he's nine years old like

I'm lugging him with his backpack my grocery I'm like trying to find a spot to park and unload everything it's just very very frustrating I feel like they converted that home in the middle of this whole residential area they should provide I'm not blaming like the the workers it's not their fault it's the the business they need to find parking for their workers they should have some kind of parking

there's no driveway that was provider there right they have a small little driveway and they at the beginning they didn't even utilize it now they Park a couple of cars there in the driveway now they do but it's just horrific between the three maintenance guys with their big trucks all the workers and then there's caseworkers and social workers and visitors that on a daily basis is just

in and out in and out constantly constantly constantly I mean several things like they could I mean right down the street there's like with I don't know what it is now but it used to be like the the nuns home like right on the corner I don't know if you're familiar there's a ton of land there they couldn't make like rent parking there maybe make some parking there I don't know if that's still the

nuns home or not also they have a yard right there right on the corner of um prospect on high across from like my house they could make a small parking lot right there on their yard enough parking probably for like 10 cars get some cars off the road right there in front of my house this accents I'm sure you guys know on the corner of Prospect and high once a month probably there's about 4

000 crashes in the city a year I know tons but like that that corner right there all the time just because this car is parked on both sides of the street all the time there's so much it's awful over there it's just awful when you say crashes are you is your concern that it's a stop sign or no that's something we can control as far as and I don't

want to speak for the board no there is a there is a stuff I think there's much we can do as far as public street parking I'm not exactly the process that was used to approve a multi office we never got notified we never there was never a hearing or anything we never they just converted it we didn't I just can't think of anything unless someone else can that

are you the only one complaining no no I don't just start a petition then they can serve it to the landlord whoever owns a property I I will start that I called somebody at the track and they told me to come to the meeting but I did that's what I was going to do and they said come to the meeting um then get a hold of whoever owns a property but the like you can't issue us

like residential like a resident sticker or something what you could do is some of your residents together and bring it to the City Hall where's your concerns that you know today

you know parking I know there were some uh cities and towns that do that for residential areas um parking for uh residents only a certain time that's that's a problem that's what I would I would start a petition try to get a hold of one of your city councils we made that probably lives in that neighborhood and they'll bring it before one of the boards and bring the landlord to the table

and see if they can solve it that's that's a tough it's tough when there is no place when there's no place at the five deal for some of those people because I wake up in the morning I find different cars in my eyes and Playing devil's advocate they can say Hey listen why don't you go talk with an unusual as well so yeah then I'm sure they're not paying as much taxes as I am

I I understand I empathize with you for sure what about you said business zones can you know I mean I mean it is used as a business

I understand but it's not business owned or is it the business that you've got you guys got to know it's not a business Zone I know it isn't so you guys got to know all those trucks that come in front of your house

and then they have like a like a milk a dairy truck that comes and delivers milk early in the morning and honestly it sounds more like this is this is outside the scope of just yeah parking thing it sounds like it's going to be some sort of variance and or licensing issue that's going to have to be brought up to the city council like it was very suggested with a council member um

like the other board members have already said that completely um can sympathize and empathize with what you got going on there but really all it comes down to as far as traffic enforcement can go public way those spots are open for anybody you know just as he was mentioning before when it comes to snow removal you get up at uh whatever time in the morning take out your car you run to the store to go

grab some milk and somebody else is parked in it there's no enforcement action because it is a public way um again like I said it sounds more of a variance or a licensing issue if it is a business how about when they're blocking my driveway inside like that there are times where I haven't called the police but they block half of my driveway it's a nuisance it's like it's out of control enforcement yeah

called Evolution long absolutely and I would suggest you start I mean I know it's a headache and you try and probably trying to play nice not doing that maybe it's time to go ahead and start getting out of those calls placed and uh you know either traffic enforcement unit or um Regular Patrol also stop going by and then showing tickets all right get your neighbors active with you slower numbers okay

how do I get the petition going do you have do I get a form online how does that how does that if you went to the clerk's office and asked for Allison bushard and tell her your problem she will help you okay Allison Bouchon that's what we need we just need help because we called yep she'll help you I mean we are paying more than double for the same house if you guys look at

the two houses on the side of us we can talk more than them I mean you know we can't even park on the streets I said you know business is pretty much taken over maybe you do have a driveway right we have a driveway but it's us and someone else we can't take over the driveway because they need to be get going and out we need to you know like it's a shared driveway

that's the best thing is can someone write her name down on a paper because I know I'm gonna forget perfect thank you all right I appreciate you hearing me out

anyone else for citizen input it's none okay first on the agenda would be the location of curb removal uh 236 Fieldstone Lane looking good it's time

okay 236 Fieldstone Lane the engineered Department reviewed the application as well as the location and found no issues there are no objections to the request for a curb cut per city engineer second okay any names uh tabled handicap requests from last meeting of March 15th 694 King Philip Street that resident here 694 King Phillips Street second any news hearing none motion pass

that's the second one that's the second time right yeah yes okay all right okay request for handicap spaces this first one we have here is 42 Platt Street though hi my name is yesterday to see if I could come for them because it's my cousins and um we actually passed away yesterday oh Parkinson's but yeah he also has two daughters that have handicapped Pockets that was just if it

was going to be approved if it was still okay they currently live at that address and they're both bikers professional I'm sorry for your loss thank you thank you didn't expect it self if they're not mine is they can they need to file an application okay his name is

no I won't you go up to the guy you're playing died it doesn't have Disney when everything we have is foreign

to validate the property this property would be it looks like would be granted a handicapped space okay I understand there's a driver but it's really small and it's applicable to utilize um I understand this is somewhat of an inconvenience for them to have to fill up the application again but hopefully um through that process they're going to end up getting that space all right thank you that's one of the reasons was

the uh at the time the daughters didn't have a car and it was sure again sorry for your loss and I understand you know slight inconvenience but if you do want to go through the process yeah if you can have this in before our next meeting um for next month it'll be on the agenda or you can show up or they can show up and request it we've already done the

homework on it it shouldn't be a problem I should get it is name not their name did the right thing though coming down so all right thank you thank you I'm gonna mark this on hold on hold do we rescind this yeah that's going to be a motion to deny most I will make a motion to deny Second Challenge and news

Quest 2 uh 212 Globe Street 12 Grove Street yeah

the man okay if you can drive if you don't drive at all I used to um California they took my license away I had if you have a vehicle registered in your name no it's I am a tour that's it I didn't know why that location there was a handicap sign there the gentleman that he's he took it over because I don't understand why we mean he took it over I had to get a

massive change my ID to Massachusetts so by the time I did that he he's handicrafts the whole house is handicapped except for one person two people actually it's a fight for hypocrisy and you also have a placket though I have a placard so you could legitimately oh God right he told me no why because he said it belongs to him absolutely okay but his son is also handicapped and yeah

as long as he has a placid on accident she's not gonna let me talk to the street am I wrong um my son has my son who is my proprietor that I had to fight a neighbor over the president people are fighting over because of the bakery the workers Park their trucks park their cars we have medical problems I've been waiting a year for this can I ask you this there's a very large

law in the back of those properties there we are not allowed to pocket that landlord will not let us utilize that yard on that driveway and I do not and I've been afraid to walk there to because of one of their tenants and threatened me with a gun well so I already called the housing plot until tomorrow all right so we're waiting outside we're going out into a pawn now okay I know what you're talking

about though I've been waiting a year I finally switched over to Massachusetts I'd like to walk in front of my house if I can't breathe I have a lot of medical assistance I was just asking do you drive is the car register or do you have a black events

oh okay you don't drive and you don't

want to talk to a globe Street there is one in place um two channels of registered I just heard from the citizen 212.

we have a motion to accept for deny so he has a placket correct I have a cracker he's my parents you can't walk long distance kidney failure cop that's all right that's your business it's okay that's not funny but he can't talk there right he can't park there with your plastic registered I own the car I'm not gonna argue over it yeah I think traditionally the board at least since I've been on it is

I mean if the caretaker were popped let's say a block away he lives with me please punishment traditionally with the block he's done and again I'm only one person here but what we've done is if a person is a block a block away and they need to pick somebody up they can go to their car and park directly in front of that house and say still we don't have to walk very far

it's what we've done I mean basically what it comes down to is you can be getting the placket for his car when I belong to resume that collectively because she wouldn't have to walk right that's why she has one issue sir and we're not denying that and she well within her right to have one issue to her but what he's trying to explain is correctly if I'm wrong is for the handicap parking assignments typically the

criteria are a few things okay one of them being the handicapped assigned placard individual as a vehicle registered to them and a license to operate said vehicle which is why they have the handicap placard and they need that parking space for their vehicle okay it's just a very Baseline um check the box criteria is what we've used um so that's what the Baseline is in this scenario right off the bat we don't have

that because she's already um stated she does not drive register I understand what you said as far as the vehicles registered to you even though she purchased it or whatever I I completely understand well like I said before the very check the box initial things right does the handicapped individual drive and do they have a car in their own name which is why there is a need for set parking space like also fires I

mentioned before um in a situation like this typically what the board has looked at would be if you were parts 10 spaces up the road and she did have to step out obviously we wouldn't say oh well she's got to go for a nice long walk which she couldn't do in her condition at that point you would have to swing around the block right in front of the house so she can have that short

walk as if she was parked there but to have the car parked there overnight and she's not the one that's coming and going for her own driving purposes he's always with me wherever we go it's understood like I said I was just explaining things about something about things I don't know if you can work or dll with that I'm sorry instead of putting it on the 212 you mentioned something about putting it on the 210

as far as what the residence is but there is one in that location already 210 212 um that's what I was referring to a parking space is already assigned for an area again ma'am I understand let me just clarify that yeah I've been waiting for a year all right you don't know what I've gone through you don't know the fights that I've been tagonized over a parking space and I'm handicapped okay I'm disabled

I can't even see your faces okay I can't breathe half of the time I don't care who knows what my conditions are until Camara is my relative I should I call him and say hey can you help me out here I mean come on I'm all I'm asking for is one poll right on the side of the person that took that didn't live there prior and I was parking there with my California

parking placard that inspires in June of 20 this year but I went and got my Massachusetts one so I can park understood um so it's being denied it's we're going to find out right now we're going to do a quick roll call and answer very shortly ocean on 212.

9 um

thank you okay number three 144 Crawford Street hello

you're from Crawford Street that's all just raise your hand so we know you're here all right they're here she's here

there was a handicap spot in front of that house as well yeah that's the woman my house she definitely needs it you're licensed yes you have a placket yes you have a car yes well she's got a 144 Crawford Street motion to roof any news approved thank you okay is that and you kind of heard a little bit over here that spot goes up you just for anybody else oh yeah it's not your spot and I

understand that for anyone who has a placket at any time I understand because the girl that used to live on first floor would go to Every Door in my door and ask if that was my company parked in her spot because she came down here and got it but I for the public so I understand that I'm grateful for anything but somebody continues to pass there all the time

then tell them to go to the process that you did am I right yeah I really don't want to argue with people okay that's all just call Laura call the traffic department and they'll take care of it and it's just throwing anyone else who she had for the blocking basically what's going to happen is uh there are going to be some publicity work as you were going to go out there they're going to measure they're going

to check the best location put that on and probably be on the east side of Crawford Street um and that they may just very well put one sign up and that will create two spots so that'll happen in about a month or so possibly longer depending on how back up they offer that's about the time that's perfect okay thank you so much present

is that him okay he's here no one a lot of driveway there that you can't walk in right all right parking lot behind that buildings sideways that's a right so you see the natural way walk away you have to have a tiny car or a bicycle to get back yeah no that's where we now and the parking lot in front of my home team like somebody else so right now there's a vacancies apartment there so

I'm allowed to depart from that spot until they fell off

oh yeah I have a motion on 411 4th Street he kept parking the driveway

another one of those extending rating circumstances however they built the house in 1918 or whatever I think emotional yeah for a carriage oh okay yeah second sure all in favor motions approved and like he was just saying before it really goes on to the next group from here how backlogged they are it could be within the months in the next 30 days I would just follow up yeah we roughly say about eight to

twelve weeks from once our crew goes out there and starts with the measurements so about eight to twelve weeks thank you sharks the next day 85 Rock Street 885 Rock yes yes oh yeah you have a very short driveway but you do have a garage what's up with the garage it's a little garage that's not big enough for a car oh my God yes I'm sure it would probably a Volkswagen Beetle maybe this

is a single family home yes and that driveway is deep enough for your vehicle I'm hearing him here yep no I'm just looking at the photo of your house my own my comment show was that your driveway is too short half of the car would be on the sidewalk that's right on the road like I said my concern is that is that you do have a garage but you can't get put a car in there

is it because it's being used as storage or a regular sized car wouldn't fit in that garage car would fit in there use it at all you don't use it at all you can't utilize it at all no enough listen yeah this is yes

yeah all right um as Tom said there is a garage down but any normal size large um or medium SUV as with this guys owning at the point at this point is it going to fit in that garage and the driveway is too short so um do I have a motion on this one I'll make a motion to improve approve you have a second I'll shut it down any days yeah no

all in favor all right approved sir yes sir thank you

199 Mason Street registration Armstrong

you can't use the driveway now

all right there's a driveway not available for the tenants does anybody have any questions on this one motion for tonight got a driveway no shouldn't be driving if he's having trouble having his eyesight well that was you're talking about the government right here a driveway that I say having trouble with his eyesight

all right do I have a motion on this one motion good yes motion to approve any Nays I know hey come on almost as fast all set for us

the area of almond and Ferry Quest was to have a look at the intersection for stop signs suggestions to have a stop sign on almond for traffic heading north certain safety issue that individuals are having their vehicles that are exiting from the marine and not stopping please review the map because that is this picture all right um Tommy went okay He put all the leg work in um so I did I went out

to that location it does get quite busy during the summer hours a Ferry Street runs east and west and the Almond Street runs north and south upon approaching the Almond Street intersection at Ferry Street there is some it's it's a corner it makes it very difficult to see so my recommendation would be a stop sign on Almond Street for traffic northbound but I would I mean I don't know if it's

possible but the caveat would be if um property owner of the tip sheet for a stop sign at the air exit onto Ferry Elementary I think that may alleviate any issues they may have even though Prima facial you have to do to care exiting your hand in your driveway that may just be a little extra thing because I can only presume it might be their recommendation for the stop sign I would

I would agree with both Tom's suggestions that particularly um coming down almond right there yeah with uh when the traffic's heavy particularly with a truck coming down almond they tend to swim out to the left make that turn and they get that's where pinch coming is yeah it is because that kind of hides it is a Highway my friend lives on Bay Street and every time I go to pick up

something pick her up so we go shopping at least every other week twice sometimes and now the tree will stop blowing yeah so now it's gonna need to work I don't know I'm not sure who authored that letter right I don't know if it was a property owner of Tipsy or I don't know how we maybe stuff you have an idea of how do we reach out to kimchi

and say if you know you know I guess we could send it from traffic and request that it was brought to us yeah just as a suggestion yeah I mean to the property owner right they walk with the letter though I think they could at least go the other half and say hey the area safer okay

all right uh well should you approve stop sign on almond that Ferry yep motion to approve a second any names seeing none motion passes uh we're going to add the traffic is going to reach out as far as yeah to the tip Sig okay finally we're sitting with handicapped spots uh requests for the traffic department to have the following handicap spaces presented due to the eligible individual no longer utilizing

the space because they have you moved to no longer drive or have passed away this is the Vogel Street handicapped planters motion on this I make a motion to resend you're saying another second second second anyways none motions passed

okay next I'm being told is roll call final roll call present and me Helen Regal Natalie mellow Stephanie McArthur Thomas virus and a motion to adjourn motion to adjourn second all right a successful move you all made out with us again all right