Haverhill city councilors this week granted a number of items on residents’ wish lists for overnight winter parking.
As WHAV reported first last month, new rules, aimed at ensuring more efficient snow plowing and removal, start overnight winter parking restrictions later, on Dec. 15, and bring greater schedule consistency. Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett told councilors the new approach builds on lessons learned and public feedback.
“We tried this last year, we’re kind of codifying it this year. We’ve moved the date up to the 15th. If, for some reason, there is a major snowstorm prior to that, we will declare an emergency and we will institute the odd/even side parking. Same thing at the end of the season. We’re going to end it a little earlier,” she said.
Barrett said city officials will also have greater latitude to make exceptions to ease resident inconveniences.
Assistant Public Works Director for Highways/Parks Robert Kimball said overnight parking rules would be in effect between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., beginning Dec. 15, with parking allowed on the even side of the street, alternating each new month to the other side of the street. He explained what conditions dictate exceptions.
“In the event of snow accumulation of over three inches, we will ask the residents to move their vehicles to the opposite side of the street for the following night after the storm. And, then on the next night following that, they should return to their regularly scheduled side,” he said.
Kimball said the alternate side parking exceptions give crews a chance to plow and widen the roads for better emergency vehicle access. He added, the approach solves a problem where snow freezes, requires heavier equipment to remove and avoids large ice chunks blocking driveways.
Councilors generally applauded the changes, as summed up by Council Vice President John A. Michitson.
“I want to congratulate you on sort of the new wrinkle here that I think is going to be very effective that after a snowstorm, the day after, people have to move to the other side of the streets so that the plows can do their job,” he said.
Ward 3 Councilor Devan M. Ferreira said she worries the inner city will still find only “one lane down the middle” and no place to park on narrow side streets. Kimball responded the new effort uses teams of two trucks to help resolve such problems.
Ward 1 Councilor Ralph T. Basiliere noted residents from his ward helped craft some of the changes that began working well last year.