Bow Town narrows no-parking zone on Stack Drive after residents cite safety concerns

Bow Town selectmen voted to shorten a temporary no-parking zone on Stack Drive on Dec. 16 after residents, police and public works officials raised safety and emergency-access concerns related to repeated on-street parking near 14 Stack Drive.

The board approved a motion to remove two temporary cones and ask the public works department and police to place fewer, better-positioned temporary no-parking signs while the town pursues other steps, including contacting the property’s managers and consulting the town attorney. The voice vote to adjust the signs passed by the board.

The debate followed many residents’ statements that the new, repeated parking pattern had converted a quiet residential dead end into a de facto employee lot. Mary Beth Walls, a nearby resident who identified herself in the meeting as also speaking from “the lawyer in me,” urged the board to try negotiating with the facility’s operator before imposing permanent restrictions, saying, “Rather than burdening or punishing the neighbors, I would suggest that what you need to do is go directly to the company that’s running it.”

Board members said the town has received photos and repeated complaints showing parked cars that can block sight lines, complicate snow removal and, officials said, could prevent emergency vehicles from reaching residents. The board reported receiving a memo from emergency services recommending a safety-focused buffer around the problem corner; the memo recommended a no-parking zone measured from the center of the intersection. On the floor, one Selectman described the police/DPW recommendation as “150 feet on both sides of the road” to preserve sight lines and maneuverability.

Not all residents supported blanket, 24-hour no-parking rules. Several speakers suggested alternatives, including limited-hour (two- or four-hour) restrictions, a residents-only parking scheme, and a permit system for short, occasional events. Krista, who lives near the corner, said the top priority is safety: “It is 100% a safety concern.” Other neighbors urged evidence-based enforcement: they asked the town to gather data on how many vehicles are present, when shift changes occur and whether the parking pattern is truly persistent or intermittent.

Several speakers and board members raised a second, separate question: the town’s authority to regulate vehicles associated with a state-contracted facility. Some residents said the facility operates under a state contract and suggested the town’s levers are limited. Town officials acknowledged that the facility is state-contracted and that some planning-exemption issues exist, but they said the town can act on public-safety matters on a town road. Mary Beth Walls told the board the town road status matters: “This is a town road, not a state road. I think for safety issues the town cannot be preempted by the state.” The board said it would consult the town attorney to clarify enforceability of more targeted restrictions such as a “residents-only” designation.

The board described the short-term outcome as a mixed approach: keep temporary signs in place in a smaller configuration chosen by DPW and police, ask the facility’s operator to create an on-site parking solution, and pursue legal options if necessary. Officials said that if the operator shows a credible written plan to keep cars off the public way, the town could remove temporary signs in weeks; otherwise, the signage and enforcement will remain in place.

The board emphasized the distinction between short-term safety interventions and a long-term legislative or ordinance change. The Selectmen said the temporary signs are not a permanent change to town law and can be adjusted at a future meeting if conditions improve.

What’s next: Town staff will contact the facility’s managers and the state contract-holder, consult the town attorney about potential parking ordinances or residents-only rules, and work with the police and DPW to finalize signage placement and enforcement plans.