The Public Safety and Transportation Committee on Nov. 19 voted to deny an appeal against a traffic-council decision to issue 15 parking permits for Cooper Center staff to use spaces in the Austin Street municipal lot.

Mister David Koses, the traffic bureau presenter, told the committee that the permits would not reserve numbered spaces but would let Cooper Center employees park in any available short-term (three-hour) or long-term (10-hour) space without paying the kiosk. He said the proposal adds 15 permits to the Austin Street lot in addition to eight existing staff permits for Walnut Place and that the city will monitor usage and adjust if necessary.

Councilor Wright appealed traffic council’s unanimous approval, telling colleagues she was concerned about removing on‑street and lot capacity that local businesses and senior-center clients rely on. "This is the only public parking in Newtonville, and it's very close to the businesses," Wright said, arguing the change could worsen a chronic parking shortage for shoppers and customers.

Supporters of the traffic-council decision, including Councilor Lipoff, said they had frequently observed underused sections of the Austin Street lot and that the traffic-council members include police and parking experts who had reviewed counts. Staff and Cooper Center representatives told the committee some construction-related parking in the lot should end when the project is complete and that only seven to ten staff members would typically be on site at once.

A member of the public, Mister Harrington, urged the committee to protect senior-center parking, saying seniors have mobility needs and that the city should ensure the Cooper Center plan does not displace them. Koses and staff replied that senior permit holders would still be able to park in the Austin Street lot for free during enforcement hours with senior passes and that the Cooper Center director could encourage staff to use underutilized corners of the lot.

Councilor Downs moved to deny the appeal (thereby upholding the traffic-council vote). The motion carried on the committee vote, recorded by the chair as six in favor and two opposed, meaning the 15 permits approved by traffic council will be issued and the traffic regulations will be amended to reflect the change. The committee did not specify reserved numbered spaces; staff said that formal designation could be revisited if monitoring shows problems.

The committee flagged monitoring and the potential to change the permit program if the city later determines adjustments are needed.