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Neighbors tell Fall River traffic panel Family Services vans are crowding Clinton Street, blocking sidewalks
Summary
Residents and a school principal told the Fall River Traffic Commission that vans operated from 1680 North Main Street by Family Services are often left on Clinton Street for hours, reducing parking, blocking sidewalks at school dismissal and prompting requests for a fire inspection and city enforcement.
Residents told the Fall River Traffic Commission on Feb. 18 that vans operated from a Family Services site at 1680 North Main Street are routinely parked on nearby Clinton Street for hours, creating parking shortages and safety concerns near Saint Michael School.
Nelson Coraro, who identified himself as living at 58 Clinton Street, said Family Services bought the property around 2015 and that “they're leaving these buses parked on our street for hours at a time throughout the day.” He said the problem has been ongoing since about 2023 and that weekday operations, not weekends, cause the greatest strain on curb space.
“Sometimes one, sometimes three, sometimes four,” Coraro said of the vehicles parked on the block. He told the commission he and neighbors had asked supervisors and a vice president at Family Services to address the parking, and that a building inspector named Frank had visited the site and would continue to follow up.
Maria Solnit, who gave her address as 46 Clinton Street, described years of nuisance related to idling and trash and said she had repeatedly tried to prompt action. “It was horrible. I'm glad that van is gone,” she said, recounting a previous instance when a large van idled near her bedroom window.
Ryan Klein, principal of Saint Michael School, said the school receives “a lot of calls from families about the vans parked in the sidewalks blocking students” and that multiple vans parked during dismissal compound the safety concern for children walking home.
Board members asked whether fuel tanks or other hazardous materials were stored in the building and discussed the value of a fire inspection for the older structure. Coraro said the building inspector had spoken with Family Services and that staff told him they would continue working on the issue. The commission did not adopt an immediate ordinance or restriction at the meeting; instead staff and inspectors were asked to follow up and report back.
The public comments compiled neighborhood accounts of reduced parking, blocked sidewalks at school dismissal and a long-running pattern of informal complaints that residents say have produced no lasting change. The commission said it would coordinate with city inspectors and other departments to determine whether code violations, fire-safety risks or parking restrictions should be pursued as next steps.
