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Town clarifies MOU after Co‑op presentation: up to 35 public spaces allowed but not reserved
Summary
Confusion during the Co‑op presentation prompted Town staff to clarify that the MOU allows Co‑op employees to use up to 35 public parking spaces across Community Field, Goodnow Street and Blake Street on a first‑come, first‑served basis; the Town emphasized it is not reserving or assigning specific spaces.
A misstatement during the Monadnock Food Co‑op presentation prompted dozens of questions about whether the Town was dedicating public parking for Co‑op employees. Chuck Ritchie, the applicant’s agent, said during the presentation that "the Town granted 35 parking spaces at Community Field for employee parking," which several board members and attendees took to mean spaces would be reserved. Planning Director Douglas Dumont and other Town staff clarified the record and pointed to the MOU, which allows Co‑op employees to use up to 35 Town‑owned parking spaces "located at Community Field, the Goodnow Street municipal lots and Blake Street parking lot" but does not earmark or assign particular stalls.
"The MOU does not assign, reserve, or dedicate parking spaces at Community Field to the Co‑op," Dumont said during the hearing. Town staff and the Recreation Director told the Board that Community Field is currently informal and unpaved but is planned to be paved and striped as part of capital improvements; paving and striping are expected to create roughly 75–90 formal spaces. Several downtown business owners, including Mardi Poliquin of Daffodils Florist, asked the Board to ensure customer access remains available. The hearing record lists the MOU in full and the Board continued the public hearing to a site walk on May 29 to observe parking and circulation on site and nearby Town lots.
