SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board voted unanimously to enforce resident-only parking restrictions on both Forest Avenue and Nason Road from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The decision is based upon the two streets’ proximity to the new elementary school. Earlier in the meeting, Nason Road resident Jeanne Patz spoke to the Board encouraging them to approve the restrictions.
“We’re concerned about visibility and safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and congestion on the street particularly at pickup,” Patz said.
Police Chief Dr. Ruben Quesada proposed the rule to the Board. He gave a recap of how the arrival and departure of students went during the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Dr. Quesada detailed that since the school’s opening, the town has dispatched six police officers and nine crossing guards each day to facilitate the daily pickup and drop-off.
He named the Laurel Road vicinity of the Unitarian Universalist Church as an area of high congestion, therefore an additional officer was stationed there. In addition, Dr. Quesadsa cited the intersection of Nason Road and Orchard Road as too populated during the relevant times as well.
“That’s one of the reasons why we ask that there be restrictive parking, because it’s very difficult,” Dr. Quesada said. “Vehicles coming from Neighborhood (Road) on Nason, and vehicles coming from Laurel to Orchard, everyone gets stuck right there… It’s a parking lot for that 15 minutes.”
Dr. Quesada expressed his belief that the amount of people residents who commute to school by foot will reduce as time goes on.
