Saugus selectmen eye solution to Baker Street parking situation

SAUGUS – Parking along Baker Street has become so bad that at times vehicles can’t even use the roadway.Town Meeting member Jim Smith said the parking issue has been an ongoing problem, but he told the Board of Selectmen recently it’s getting worse. Smith said there are some nights, just as dusk settles in, where the road becomes impassable due to traffic congestion and cars parked along the roadway.”Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. when it starts to get dark people try to cut through from Lincoln Ave. onto Baker and the cars impede the way,” Smith said.Smith said there is a senior housing unit and a group home that he believes are the biggest contributors to the parking woes. And it’s not the residents, but the people who work in both locations.Smith said he heard of one incident where several vehicles got stuck with cars trying to get in and out of parking spaces. Traffic lined up behind the offending vehicles and soon no one could move forward or backward.Smith said drivers pulled into nearby driveways to try and clear the roadway.He said it’s also tricky when one car is trying to get up the roadway and is met by a car coming the other way. With cars parked along the side of the road, he said often there is not enough room for cars to pass each other.”It’s not a nice way to live,” he said. “It’s a very congested area. I think we need to have someone address the area.Smith said he wasn’t sure if addressing the problem would involve finding out exactly who is parking along the roadway or simply posting some signs. Either way he said something needs to be done.”It’s the main access to Baker Hill,” he added. “It’s used by fire and emergency apparatus. The only other way to reach residents up there is to go down through Cliftondale Square. I think we need to figure out who is parking there and deal with it.”Selectman Michael Kelleher said the Board has always had great success with asking Traffic Officer Lt. Stephen Sweezey to investigate such issues.Selectman Peter Rossetti said he was familiar with the area since he drives past it sometimes several times a day.”I know there are times I called to have vehicles towed because not even one car could make it up the street,” he said. “I would strongly suggest Lt. Sweezey look at the situation and do so in the late afternoon.”Selectmen agreed and voted 5-0 to have Sweezey look into the issue and report back to the board.