Lynner: City to blame for parking need

LYNN – Engineer Jay Anderson told the Off Street Parking Commission Tuesday that when city officials call parking “a problem they would like to have,” it shows exactly how short sighted City Hall can be.”The problem is here, it’s not in the future,” he said. “The mayor should be here, the City Council should be here now to address this problem.”Anderson was one of about 20 residents, business owners and city officials who attended the Off Street Parking Commission public hearing on downtown parking issues.Commission Chairman Taso Nickolakopoulos said he was looking forward to hearing concerns from downtown residents and business owners largely because it’s not an area he frequents with any regularity.”I’m on the corner of Western and Chatham,” he said, referring to his business, John’s Roast Beef. “So I don’t see what you deal with daily.”The Off Street Parking Commission oversees six public parking lots on Buffum, Andrew, Ellis/School, Union and Johnson streets and Central Avenue that total 626 spaces. Parking Department Director Jay Fenton said the Buffum Street lot, the largest of the six with 221 available spots, is overbooked with 305 monthly parkers.Commission member Corey Jackson said according to their figures there should be about 90 spaces available in the Ellis/School Street lot but Lori Berry, executive director or the Lynn Community Health Center, said it’s almost always full.”That shows there is abuse,” he said.Berry admitted that her staff is part of the parking problem in the downtown area. A recent addition to the health center was built on a small parking lot and has added about 100 new jobs to the downtown “and most of them drive to work.”Thirty LCHC employees have moved to parking in the MBTA garage, however, and Berry said any new employees would also be directed to park there.Commission member Corey Jackson suggested that businesses might want to offer incentives for employees to utilize the MBTA lot over the city lots in order to free up space for residents.Commercial Real Estate Director Chris Bibby said he has two deals in the works that could further increase the need for downtown parking. He is currently working with a company that could take up to four floors at 23 Central St. and a second retailer that will potentially move into the first and second floor.Cathy Anderson from North Shore Community College said they will also be adding to the problem when they open a culinary arts and cosmetology school on Union Street. However, she said NSCC does run its own shuttle between campuses and they are looking into adding a Union Street stop which means students could park at the college.Greater Lynn Senior Services Director Paul Crowley said the commission might want to do an actual parking study in order to get a handle on numbers needed but Anderson said it’s not that difficult.”You need to have this discussion with the people who are actually out developing the downtown, not sitting in an office,” he said.He said city officials are aware of the parking deficiencies and what they need to do is agree “today” to fund a project to fix the problem.”If you only spent some money today in two years the problem would be solved,” he said. “You have to plan these things out. You have to start budgeting today ? or it’s not going to get done.”Downtown resident Seth Albaum said the trick will be to increase the parking without increasing the downtown’s footprint. He suggested adding two or three decks to some existing parking lots but that didn’t sit well with everyone. One woman said the property she is trying to purchase overlooks the Buffum Street lot so while she would like more downtown parking she is not a fan of building upward on that particular lot.Ward 5 Councilor Brendan Crigthon also suggested building up but in the form of a garage like the one in downtown Salem with retail on the first floor.Councilor at large Daniel Cahill said he was simply happy to see the commission working on the issue.”I have bee