A petition asking for an overnight or time-restricted parking ban on portions of Russell Street near Elm Park was withdrawn during committee discussion after widespread neighborhood opposition and concerns about displacing residents’ needed on‑street parking.

Stephen Boisso, who filed the petition citing persistent litter, drug paraphernalia and overnight occupants near Elm Park, told the committee he would withdraw the petition after hearing testimony from many residents who said the proposed restriction would penalize tenants in multifamily homes that lack off‑street parking. Several tenants and property owners said a ban would push residents to other nearby streets and not solve littering; some landlords said tenants’ leases guarantee street parking.

Police and staff response: Sergeant Cipro said he would forward reports of drug activity near Elm Park to the city’s neighborhood response team and vice squad for enforcement; the committee also asked city staff to coordinate quality-of-life responses and outreach. The committee accepted the petitioner’s withdrawal and recorded a chairman’s order asking the Worcester Police Department and city teams to monitor Elm Park and report back with enforcement and outreach options.

Why it mattered: Petitioners described visible needles and drug paraphernalia in the park, while many residents warned that an overnight ban would remove critical parking for families and renters and could intensify parking pressure on adjacent blocks. Several speakers described long-term efforts to clean the park and asked for coordinated police and city clean‑up and outreach work rather than an on‑street parking ban.

Outcome: The petitioner formally withdrew the petition; the committee recorded a motion to accept the withdrawal and instructed police and city teams to step up monitoring, enforcement where appropriate, and neighborhood outreach. The petitioner and residents were encouraged to work with police and city staff on non‑parking measures to reduce litter and observed illegal activity.