DeFazio parking congestion prompts pilot enforcement; pavilion study and fee timing discussed

Commissioners raised growing safety and congestion problems at the DeFazio parking area and said they are exploring short-term enforcement and longer-term policy responses.

The moderator said DeFazio can function well some days but ‘‘on busy days it’s backed up all the way to the common,’’ creating safety concerns. Staff are pursuing a pilot to have a traffic officer on site during the busiest days to manage flow; commissioners warned the police presence cannot be guaranteed every time because of other duties. One commissioner said if the pilot does not solve the problem, the commission may restrict the number of permits at the park, limit people on the fields or stagger start times to reduce overlapping arrivals.

Related neighborhood-signage enforcement was noted: new signs and police-ticketing authority for restricted neighborhood parking are in place to limit overflow into adjacent streets.

Facilities and capital: Commissioners also discussed a potential structural study of the pavilion building. Staff are working with building maintenance supervisor Barry Dulong to scope an engineering review to determine whether renovation or replacement is required; a full rebuild would move the project into capital planning and include a working group with main user groups. The Carlton family has indicated interest in an upgrade rather than a donation of a new building.

Fees: The commission plans to address fee changes for 2027 in upcoming meetings; staff hope to finalize decisions before fields open so user groups have time to adjust budgets.

Next steps: pilot traffic enforcement, potential user-group outreach on any permit limits, engineering study scope and formation of a pavilion working group if capital work is required.