Council discusses parking, proposes guardrails and coordination with field managers for Main Road turf field

Councilors and the public safety director discussed ongoing issues with vehicles parking along Main Road at the turf field and near Pacheco Park during sporting events.

Presenters noted that ad‑hoc parking has created safety concerns — vehicles pulling onto and off a state road — and that enforcement alone would be difficult and inconsistent. The public safety director and councilors discussed several options, including asking the state Department of Transportation to install wooden guardrails, requiring organizations that rent or manage the field (Pop Warner, Wide World or others) to place cones and manage parking during events, or arranging for a police detail at larger events.

One councilor said a wooden guardrail could cost roughly $70 per linear foot and that, depending on the length needed (an approximate engineering estimate put the affected area at up to 200 yards in one description), a permanent guardrail could cost in the tens of thousands of dollars; the administration said it would speak to DOT about possibilities but did not commit funds for a permanent solution this year.

“There's already wooden guardrails at the school...it would already go with what's there,” a councilor said, urging a discussion with DOT and with the field operators to make temporary measures consistent.

Why it matters: Unsafe parking and traffic conflicts on a state road pose public‑safety risks for pedestrians and drivers adjacent to school and athletic fields. The council discussed a mix of short‑term and longer‑term actions.

Next steps: Administration will contact the state DOT about guardrail options, encourage field managers to manage parking and use cones for events, and consider enforcement or paid details for high‑attendance events as needed.