Politics & Government

Swampscott Traffic Committee Opposes Puritan Road Parking

Panel members voted to not recommend temporary parking on the beach road while the Adam Sandler movie Grown Ups 2 is using space at Phillips Park.

 

The Swampscott  voted 4-0 Thursday to not recommend temporary beach parking on Puritan Road.

Selectmen had asked committee members to study temporary parking on the beach side of Puritan near.

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The idea was to provide adequate parking for residents who typically park their vehicles at and walk to the beach over an access path.

The parking question arose because more than 100 spaces at the park are being used to accommodate the stage in the Adam Sandler movie.

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But Swampscott police Lt. Gary Lord, who is on the Traffic Study Committee, said he worked a detail at the park last weekend during prime beach weather and there was plenty of parking for beach-goers at Phillips Park.

Assistant Town Administrator Dave Castellarin, also on the traffic committee, said there is also parking available on Humphrey Street and Columbia Pictures has provided a shuttle van between Phillips Park and the beach.

The van operates on Saturdays and Sunday between 10 am and 4 pm, and will operate on July 4, during those hours. Columbia Pictures has rented space at Phillips Park through much of the summer.

A member of the public told traffic committe members that he opposed Puritan Road parking. Resident Linso van der Burg said there seemed to be plenty of parking available at Phillips Park.

At an earlier selectmen's meeting, a standing-room crowd told selectmen that temporary parking on Puritan Road is a bad idea because it would lead to an accident.

The board passed a motion asking the town traffic committee to look at the topic of adequate beach parking with the premise that the board is very concerned about allowing parking on Puritan Road.

Even with Columbia Pictures using more than 100 spaces for its sound stage, there remains about 40 spaces for beach-goers.

The other two traffic committee members are Public Works Director Gino Cresta and Deputy Fire Chief James Potts.


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