Overflow high-school parking prompts safety debate; council asks staff to rework ordinance

Neighbors of the high school brought photographs and personal accounts of blocked sight lines, narrow streets and difficulty for emergency vehicles as students and attendees parked on Tiffany Circle, Priscilla Drive and Cherry Lane. Police said the town received multiple resident complaints and temporarily opened a nearby church lot to reduce congestion.

Chief Correa described the safety problem that prompted resident outreach and said enforcement by persuasion had limited effect; he suggested time-limited restrictions or a resident-sticker program as potential tools. "Those eight cars do create a safety issue... it narrowed the roadway," Correa said, summarizing observed conditions in the neighborhood.

Many residents recounted near-misses involving pedestrians and limited egress for service vehicles. One resident said their child had previously been struck by a car in the same neighborhood and urged council action to avoid a repeat. Other speakers questioned equity: why parking was being limited in the morning but widely tolerated for weekend events.

Councilors discussed options including no-parking-on-one-side in the roada tactical fix for narrow approachesand a resident-sticker system used in other neighborhoods. Council members requested staff draft a revised ordinance with options (resident-access exceptions, timing windows and signage) and scheduled continued public hearing and council consideration for July 28. The motion to continue was approved 5-0.

Councilors emphasized the goal of keeping neighborhoods safe without unintentionally displacing problems to other streets and urged collaboration with the school committee to address student parking behaviors as a systemic element of the solution.