Residents Ask Select Board to Address Parking on Wellesley Ave.

Residents shared their concerns and ideas about parking at Wellesley Ave., a busy entry point to Mill Pond at this week's Select Board meeting.

Since the pandemic, the Wellesley Ave. entrance has become a popular parking spot for visitors wanting to take advantage of the recreational areas and trails near Burlington's reservoir. Residents have felt the pain, though, as often they leave their homes to find their driveways blocked or the street so congested with parked cars that they can't get their vehicles down it. One resident said her trash collection has been missed and fuel deliveries haven't been able to get through.

Several neighbors appeared before the Select Board to explain the problem and request new parking regulations be established for the area. The signage has changed over the last few years, they explained, and they suggested  expanding a "No Parking Anytime" area while making another area "Residents Only."

The Select Board and the Burlington Police Department agree that action is needed but wants to avoid simply shifting the problem to nearby streets. They plan to conduct a site visit to better understand the situation and explore potential solutions.

Options under consideration include implementing time-limited parking or expanding restrictions to neighboring streets. The Board will meet with residents and town officials to discuss these possibilities further and hopes to have a final decision on changes to parking regulations in the area by the next meeting.

Also at Select Board:

• The Board discussed with the Ways & Means Committee the merits of placing a debt exclusion measure on the town's April election ballot for the Fox Hill School and/or police station projects. More about this in a separate story.
• The Police Department introduced their newest—and cutest!—new officer, Zuko, a two-month-old chocolate Lab who will be trained in search & rescue and as a comfort animal.
• The Conservation Commission explained the proposed changes to the stormwater bylaw updates they expect to put before Town Meeting in the near future.
• The Board approved a wage adjustment for Assistant Town Administrator, John Danizio.
• A resident implored the Board to consider reaching out to neighboring municipalities to see about implementing regulations on development and preserve neighborhoods' character, after seeing smaller houses demolished and huge homes built in their place.

The next Select Board meeting is scheduled for November 18.