Public hearing on Lynn parking Tuesday

LYNN – Downtown residents and businesses are invited to air their parking concerns and grievances during a public hearing on the issue Tuesday at Lynn Arts.The Off Street Parking Commission has invited the public to what it’s calling an informational hearing.”We want to talk about opening up monthly parking passes,” said Commission Vice Chairman Jamie Cerulli. “There is a freeze on the passes.”Commission member Corey Jackson has also said he would like to at the very least start a conversation on lifting the freeze. Lifting the freeze would allow down town resident to purchase monthly passes, that would give them a spot to park at night.Cerulli said the ban on passes was enacted when the Buffum Street lot became over-full. When space ran out at the Buffum Street lot cars were allocated to other lots in the city, Cerulli said. In order to maintain some open spaces or spill over the Parking Department put a freeze on issuing any more passes, she added.Discussion at recent Commission meetings has centered on the parking crunch at the Buffum Street lot. Economic Development Industrial Corporation Executive Director James Cowdell likes to say that as far as problems go a lack of parking isn’t a bad one to have because it shows the downtown is growing.Over the last five years, 250 residents have moved into the downtown area but Cowdell’s goal is to grow that number to 500. With the new residents have come new businesses and restaurants and plans for more eateries including Enzo’s Pizza on Oxford Street, D’Amici’s Bakery and Rossetti’s, an Italian restaurant both destined for Sutton Street.City officials admit that from a planning standpoint there has been no plan for how to deal with the influx of vehicles in the downtown area.”We’re looking for businesses to tell us about their parking issues and concerns so we can figure this all out,” Cerulli said.The meeting will take place at Lynn Arts, 25 Exchange St., Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the public is encouraged to attend.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].