Abutters press the board on off-site parking, contractual proof and neighborhood impacts

Counsel for abutters raised repeated objections to the applicant's operational parking mitigation plan and the sufficiency of evidence in the hearing record. Jeffrey Gladstone (counsel for Brick Alley Pub interests) and other objectors asked how the city determines allowable guest-unit counts and whether the applicant had submitted binding leases or agreements guaranteeing access to the nearby Swinburne Row lot and the 364 Main Street lot for overnight guest parking. "Is that legal?" objectors asked; the zoning officer and traffic expert explained municipal code provisions and the limits of using adjacent municipal lots for transient guest facilities.

Objector questioning focused on two practical points: first, whether the off-site lots cited by the applicant would remain available for the life of the project (ownership and assignment questions), and second, whether shifting parking demand would displace retail customers or create competition for scarce downtown spaces during peak summer months. The traffic expert agreed overflow would need to be managed and said success depends on pricing and contractual control; he also acknowledged he had not conducted a dedicated utilization study of the Swinburne lot. The board continued the hearing to allow objectors' experts to present further evidence.