Board raises operational and safety questions about parking stackers and bike storage at 68 Mount Vernon Avenue

At a planning board meeting, members discussed parking stackers proposed for 68 Mount Vernon Avenue and flagged concerns about operations, safety and user access. Board member (Speaker 2) said an attendant is necessary and that the stackers should not be self-service: “You need to have an attendant that says right here in the spec sheet. You can't it's not self-service.” Board members also questioned whether the proposed stacker system—or the proposed equipment’s height—might require a variance. The transcript records that the project may need a variance and that the board could condition approval where appropriate; no motion or formal vote on a variance is recorded in the transcript. Why this matters: The operational model for stacker parking affects emergency access, the risk of vehicle damage and daily functionality for residents. Board members described scenarios where reliance on a single attendant or on-call operator could leave residents without timely access to vehicles during emergencies or simple needs, and urged the applicant to plan for backup staffing. Discussion included user experience and damage risk. One member said customers could face long waits when retrieving vehicles and that vehicles can be damaged when pulled from stackers if not handled properly. Several board members suggested the applicant ensure attendants are trained and consider having more than one attendant or a backup system so tenants are not left without access when the primary attendant is unavailable. Board members also looked for bike-storage details in the submitted materials. One member said they could not find bike lockers in the packet and asked staff to confirm where bike storage appears on the plans; the transcript indicates the applicant later provided documentation showing outdoor bike lockers. No formal vote on the stackers or a variance is recorded in the transcript. The discussion concluded with members asking for clarity in the application and for any required variance to be identified and processed per zoning procedures.