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Pocket Neighborhood Center asks for $290,400 parking lot expansion after residents cite safety and access issues
Summary
Pocket Neighborhood Center director Susan Sadki asked the board for a $290,400 CIP appropriation to add 23 parking spaces to the center's lot, citing 157 resident letters about blocked access, missed services and safety risks; board members discussed phasing, planning and lease/maintenance responsibilities.
Susan Sadki, executive director of the Pocket Neighborhood Center (PNC), presented the center's level funding request of $218,000 and described program volumes: PNC reported distributing about $1.1 million worth of food in the last year, operating senior transportation that delivered more than 2,500 door‑to‑door rides for about 100 local seniors, and running a weekender backpack program for children.
Sadki also asked the board to fund a CIP parking lot expansion to add 23 spaces, citing 157 letters from PNC users who said lack of parking forced them to leave without food, prevented volunteers from contributing, and created unsafe conditions that could block emergency access. The estimate presented for the two‑option plan was $290,400 for the preferred design that yields 23 additional spots; Sadki said the lot is at capacity and that improvements would remove a daily bottleneck that limits program access for seniors and families.
Board members discussed the project's approval path, noting it may need planning and zoning (PNZ) review and that pervious vs. impervious paving choices and phasing could reduce near‑term cost. The town's lease arrangement with the PNC (nominal $1 per year, with town maintenance responsibilities) was clarified and members asked DPW to consider whether phased paving or alternate surfaces could meet needs while reducing cost.
Sadki urged timely action, saying letters from older residents describe urgent difficulty walking from distant parking and safety concerns for emergency vehicle access. The board did not vote on the CIP at the meeting; members asked staff to return with additional engineering details, PNZ implications and timeline options before any appropriation is scheduled.
