Narragansett council approves first reading to limit parking at Boone Street playground to park users

The Narragansett Town Council voted 5-0 on a first reading July 7 to amend the town's official list of parking restrictions to designate Leroy Thompson Memorial Park (Boone Street Playground) parking for park use only from dawn to 9 p.m., with a three-hour time limit, putting the rule onto the town's ordinance books so enforcement can occur.

Councilor Donna Vignelli, who introduced the item as a way to preserve spaces for families using the playground, said the current signs were unenforceable because they lacked an ordinance and were being used by employees and visitors to nearby businesses. "Right now the way it is written, the sign is written, 'parking for the park only' is nonenforceable," Vignelli said during the council's discussion.

The measure, presented as a first step toward ensuring parents and caregivers can access parking when they bring young children to the playground, drew lengthy comment from residents and councilors. Speakers described cars blocking access for emergency vehicles, children crossing busy streets to reach the park and repeated weekend noise and parking spillover connected to nearby businesses and Boone Street Market.

Public commenters included Tom Hines, who said he had trouble taking grandchildren to the playground because parking is often full, and David Bird, whose property abuts the park and said the playground is intended for toddlers and very young children. "A chalk mark on a tire seems like an improvement over the current condition," Bird said, referencing informal enforcement practices neighbors have discussed.

Opponents and those urging further refinement flagged practical and equity issues. Councilor Collins said she opposed a blanket three-hour limit on a public park, noting families can attend multiple youth events or stay for several games. Catherine Salabretto urged clearer signage and stronger penalties if needed and questioned whether a street-parking ordinance is the correct legal instrument for a town-owned lot. Staff and other councilors acknowledged those concerns and proposed the measure as an initial, enforceable tool to preserve parking for park users while the parking subcommittee reviews signage and longer-term policies.

Town staff advised the council that, as currently written, signs alone provide no clear legal basis for ticketing cars that are not using the park. The proposed ordinance would allow enforcement during posted park hours and establish a three-hour limit that staff said could be observed by CSOs and police through routine checks rather than the impractical task of determining a vehicle's owner among crowds.

Councilors also discussed operational details: the ordinance language will apply to the whole recreation complex (playground and fields) and signs will be revised to match an enacted ordinance. Several councilors asked the parking subcommittee to review signage townwide to identify other cases where signs are not backed by ordinances.

The council voted to introduce, read and pass the amendment as a first reading; final adoption requires a subsequent meeting and any technical edits to signage and enforcement language. Councilors and residents said the measure is intended to be the start of a multi-step approach, not the final solution. The council asked staff and the parking subcommittee to return with clarifications on signage, enforcement processes and possible seasonal or event-based exceptions.

The first-reading motion passed unanimously. The council president announced the item would move forward and staff will prepare ordinance language and updated signage for a future second reading.