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Bow selectmen trim temporary no-parking zone on Stack Drive after residents cite safety concerns
Summary
After sustained public comment, Bow selectmen voted to shorten temporary no-parking signage around a tight corner on Stack Drive, direct staff to press the facility to keep cars off the street and ask town counsel whether a residential-only parking rule could apply to a state-contracted facility.
Tanya, chair of the Bow selectmen, said the meeting’s central issue was safety when the board opened discussion of no-parking measures on Stack Drive on Dec. 16. The board heard two hours of public comment from dozens of neighbors who said vehicles parked near a sharp “L” turn impaired sight lines and blocked snow removal.
“Rather than burdening the neighbors…let’s deal with the company,” Marybeth Walls told the board, arguing the town should press the operator of the nearby facility to keep employees on the driveway rather than on the street. Several neighbors described children playing near the elbow of the road and emergency-response vehicles having difficulty maneuvering when cars were parked at the corner.
Town staff presented written advice from emergency services and DPW that the chief of police recommended a no-parking buffer of 150 feet in each direction from the center of the L-turn to preserve visibility and emergency access. Selectmen discussed alternatives including a time-limited parking restriction (two or four hours), resident-only parking and continued use of temporary orange signs while staff pursues longer-term fixes.
After debate, the board declined an initial motion (chief’s recommendation of 150 feet) and instead approved a narrower short-term adjustment: the board directed DPW and police to shorten the temporary no-parking layout (remove two temporary signs/cones and consolidate placement), to install improved temporary signs (post-mounted town no-parking signs rather than cone-only placards), and to treat the signs as temporary measures while staff pursues three follow-ups. The board asked town staff to contact the facility’s management to seek a written commitment to keep vehicles on private property, to consult the town attorney about whether a residential-only parking restriction could be enforceable against a state-contracted facility, and to adjust sign placement to balance safety and neighborhood impacts.
Selectmen framed the action as an emergency-driven, reversible step: the town will revisit and can move the signs or change the ordinance later if the temporary fix proves insufficient. The board recorded the motion as adopted by voice vote; the motion language described shortened temporary signs under police/DPW placement, and the board clarified the signs were not permanently changing town ordinance at this meeting.
What’s next: staff will contact the facility and town counsel, DPW will implement the adjusted temporary sign pattern, and the selectmen said they will re-evaluate the measure at a future meeting if problems persist.
