Chelsea commission tables Crescent Avenue parking removal after residents raise safety and parking concerns
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Summary
After a DPW presentation on a Crescent Avenue redesign that would remove parking on the southeast side, dozens of residents and two city councilors urged the commission to seek alternatives; the commission voted to table the item and asked staff to return with revised designs next month.
Chelsea’s Traffic and Parking Commission on March 3 heard a heated public hearing on a Department of Public Works plan to remove on‑street parking along the southeast (odd) side of Crescent Avenue between Lewis Street and Carroll Street and to install granite curb and concrete sidewalk.
DPW project engineer Elias Pimas described a roadway profile that would narrow travel lanes, retain parking on the even side and protect overhead utilities with new curb work. “This proposed roadway profile allows two‑way traffic to steadily flow while maintaining safe conditions for pedestrians and above‑ground utilities,” Pimas said, adding that narrower lanes are a recognized traffic‑calming measure.
Residents and local elected officials urged the commission to reconsider the scope of parking removal. Jonathan Gomez Pereira, a school committee member who lives at 357 Crescent Ave, said the proposal would affect “more than 20 households” and displace vehicles onto Carroll, Crest, Lewis and Hooper streets, which already experience congested parking. He also criticized the plan’s use of 12‑foot travel lanes, calling that “the standard for highways” and asking the commission to favor narrower lanes to slow traffic. He raised a separate concern that previously approved minutes had not been posted in a timely manner.
Roberto Jimenez, city councilor at large, told the commission he supports the sidewalk and safety goals but suggested exploring converting the street to one‑way as an alternative that could preserve parking while reducing speeds. “Turning this road into a one‑way road…might accomplish the goals while protecting the parking that we do need for our residents,” Jimenez said.
Norielisa Jesus, District 3 councilor and a former Crescent resident, echoed calls for more community engagement and emphasized impacts on elderly residents and schoolchildren, saying sidewalks and safe crossings remain priorities but that removing parking could worsen day‑to‑day life for families.
Multiple residents described practical problems they already face: late‑night workers who must park blocks from their homes; households with multiple vehicles; double parking that obstructs school busways; and winter conditions that reduce usable curbside space. “When I get home at midnight, I already have to wait for someone to move so I can park,” said Maria Varela (98 Carroll St), who works night shifts at a local nursing home.
After the public comment period, commissioners closed the hearing and voted to table the proposal until next month so DPW can present revised designs that aim to “significantly reduce” the number of parking spaces proposed for removal. Commissioners and staff also said they will determine whether a follow‑up public hearing is required once new designs are ready.
The commission made no vote tonight on permanent changes; the item is scheduled to return at the next Traffic and Parking Commission meeting with updated drawings and reconsidered options.
