Keene committee recommends replacing blanket winter parking ban with situational ban (O-2024-14)

The Keene Municipal Services, Facilities & Infrastructure Committee unanimously recommended adoption of ordinance O-2024-14, which would replace the city’s blanket November–April overnight parking prohibition with situational winter parking bans declared before a storm.

Assistant Public Works Director Duncan Watson told the committee “this is relating to lifting of the winter maintenance parking restrictions” and described a shift to event-driven bans: “this would lift that ban on parking and make it a situational ban depending on the announcement of a winter storm, weather event.” Watson said the city will rely on existing notification systems and parking maps, and noted the city is not planning large-scale towing: “we're not gonna be getting into the towing business here … if people violate this ordinance they'll be ticketed.”

Committee members and residents asked about notification specifics, whether bans could occur during daytime hours, and how alternating-lot parking would be handled. Councilor Remy said she appreciated the compromise and suggested considering National Weather Service alerts as a trigger while guarding against frequent daytime bans on Main Street. Deputy City Manager Rebecca Landry noted the city already posts parking maps at keenenh.gov/parking with Google Maps links that indicate which lots are available on which nights.

In public comment, Court Street resident Ian Matheson called the proposal “exceptional” for downtown residents who struggle with winter parking and asked for clearer ordinance definitions distinguishing snow-plowing events from maintenance closures; staff said maintenance (line painting, crack sealing) differs from plowing and that the ordinance could be refined after the first winter of experience.

A councilor moved to recommend adoption of ordinance O-2024-14. The motion was seconded and the committee voted unanimously to recommend adoption to the next stage of review.

If adopted by the city council, the ordinance would shift the city from a fixed seasonal overnight ban to a more flexible system that aims to preserve parking availability on most nights while allowing the city to close streets as necessary for plowing. Staff said they would use notification tools and online maps to steer drivers to alternative lots and plan to return with refinements after experience with the new approach.