Swampscott residents upset over park traffic

SWAMPSCOTT – Some residents in the vicinity of Phillips Park are fed up with parents using the small dead end streets they reside on as loading zones for children.Recreation Director Danielle Strauss said this has been an ongoing issue. Strauss pointed out on any given weekday local soccer and football organizations are using those athletic fields from 5:30 p.m. on. Strauss said she has been in touch with the youth sports organizations and told them parking, pickups and drop offs are not allowed on Lodge, Muriel and Charlotte roads.”The problem is individual parents,” she said. “Parents have been informed not to use those streets as drop off and pick up areas but they continue to do so.”According to some area residents, parents are driving to the end of Muriel Road, dropping kids off and then backing up the entire length of the street to get back onto Bates Road.Resident Eric Lagerquist requested the town place a “no drop off” sign at the end of Muriel Road but the selectmen did not take any action on his request at their meeting Tuesday evening.This is not the first time this issue has been discussed at a Board of Selectmen meeting. This spring the selectmen sent a strong message to coaches instructing them to tell parents to use the Phillips Park parking lot or drop children off on Humphrey Street.Selectman Adam Forman said the Board of Selectmen believes an incremental approach is the best way to solve the problem.”The first step was asking for cooperation from parents,” he said. “People haven’t responded to our requests not to use those streets as a drop off zone so we need to find another way to tackle it.”Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said he believes the most effective way to remedy the problem would be to lock the gate to Phillips Park at the end of Charlotte and connecting fences that run along the end of the Lodge and Muriel roads. The Recreation Department issues permits for the use of fields in town and Board of Selectmen Chairman Anthony Scibelli said revoking youth league permits is something that could also be discussed.The item has not placed on the agenda for an upcoming meeting, but Scibelli said he expects it would be discussed at a selectmen meeting by mid-October.