LYNN — Saturday night — by anyone’s account a spectacular night for walking along the beach — a large number of parking spaces from Red Rock Park to the Swampscott Line were unused.
The minute you crossed over into Swampscott, though, spaces were scarce.
The difference may have been the chicken-wire fence that stretches along Lynn Shore Drive, at the top of the mound that — until April — provided unfettered access to the sidewalk.
The fence blocks the access, and has throughout the spring and summer. It has caused consternation among those who enjoy taking a walk or bike ride on the beachfront path.
The temporary fence, installed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), will be in place for the remainder of the outdoor recreation season. Its purpose, the DCR says, is to protect new plantings including, but not limited to, grass seed along the slopes of the street intended to mitigate erosion and improve the landscaping.
While the fencing along Lynn Shore Drive may be an eyesore now — at the height of the summer — the DCR said it will help improve the appearance of the area in the future.
However, some people who were sitting near Red Rock Park Sunday said the fencing could be a safety hazard. They have found it to be a hindrance to their access to the Lynn Shore Drive walkway.
Others were simply wondering what purpose it was serving, as it is in place along the grass area in between the street and Lynn Shore Drive path, which makes it difficult for a passenger to get out of a vehicle.
“When I came up here and saw this, I thought, What the hell?” said Vincent Dalleva, 49. “I thought it was for COVID-19.”
Dalleva lives in Wilmington, but has been visiting the beach and walkway along Lynn Shore Drive for years. He has never seen fencing used in the area before and did not think it was serving much of a purpose,
“It looks ugly,’ said Dalleva. “It doesn’t look good.”
Lou, a Hamilton resident who did not want to share his last name, said he almost got hit by a car when he was walking toward the area.
“There’s no place to walk,” said Lou, explaining that he had to walk on the street because the fencing blocked his access to the walkway.
His friend Dave Caiazzo, of Malden, said it could be dangerous for people to walk to the area after parking if they are not near a crosswalk.
It’s even worse when the area is crowded.
“It’s hard to park here on the weekends,” said Caiazzo, 65.
Claudio and Fatima Lima, a married couple from Medford who were taking in the ocean view Sunday with their dog, acknowledged the same issue.
‘The problem is when you get out of the car and walk, you don’t have the space to walk,” said Claudio, 51. “You have to walk on the street.”
The fence may be the newest addition, but it is not the only one to prompt some questions from residents traveling throughout the city.
Some people have asked The Item about traffic lanes in the Nahant Rotary, particularly the right-hand lane running from Lynn Shore Drive onto the Carroll Parkway in the direction of Boston. The lane goes from being a travel lane to a parking lane once it clears the rotary.
But despite the potential traffic hazard or confusion that the change could create for drivers, DCR said the agency has not received complaints from motorists regarding pavement markings within the Nahant Rotary.
The agency said the markings were installed in 2018 and were deemed appropriate by the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and DCR parkway standards.
Pavement markings have also been installed at the intersection of Market and Broad streets, which consist of dotted yellow skip lines for the left turn designation that are aimed at deterring motorists from entering the center median, according to DCR.
As for the fencing along Lynn Shore Drive, some people have a different take on things.
Maureen St. Pierre, of Lynn, who was reading near Red Rock Park Sunday, said she chooses to walk to the area since she lives nearby.
“It’s easier than trying to park,” she said.
Item reporter Thor Jourgensen contributed to this report.
