SAUGUS — John Cannon, a resident of Heritage Heights is concerned that parents parking outside Waybright Elementary School during pick-up may make it impossible for emergency crews to get to the senior housing complex.
Kelly Moss, principal of the Waybright Elementary School, said parents line up on Talbot Street before the complex and wait until the small buses arrive. After they leave, the line progresses around the school’s traffic circle.
“As we have done this for years, we pretty much know which student the car is picking up,” said Moss. “The students hear their name and move up to approximately where their car will pick them up. Cars pull up to the last no parking sign and students get in the cars. They move out and the next group pulls up. It is very efficient and all the students are picked up within approximately seven minutes.”
Cannon said the system seems to work great, but the parents who don’t wait in line are the problem.
“One hundred fifty parents wait in line in chronological order but a handful refuse to sit in line and park across the street,” said Cannon. “They abandon their cars and go pick up their kids, leaving the whole length of Talbot Street blocked off.”
The demographics of Heritage Heights include about 12 people in their 90s, more than 40 people in their 80s, more than 30 in their 70s, eight people in their 60s, and several younger people with disabilities.
“I’m going to take a guess and say it’s an average of once or twice a week (first responders) are there, but the problem is not how often, it’s when,” said Cannon. “All they have to do is need to come down the street once at 2:15 p.m., and we’ll have a problem.”
Cannon first brought his complaint to the School Committee but was told the problem was out of the board’s jurisdiction.
Members agreed to make a recommendation for “no parking” signs to be installed because they felt it was a safety issue.
He will appear before the Board of Selectmen with his request at the next meeting, Oct. 4.
