GREENFIELD — The town’s Parking Commission has created a plan to address concerns raised by residents and businesses who fear the opening of the new courthouse will result in a widespread lack of parking downtown.
The plan aims to remedy the situation by adding parking spaces on the east side of downtown — expanding parking availability for both permit and kiosk “pay and display” users in that area. It also calls for an overhaul of current parking signs to ensure all lots are clearly marked and information is easily visible.
“The Parking Commission is focused on balancing the needs of the visitors and residents who expect to find parking when coming downtown for work or play,” said Parking and Traffic Commission Chair Sebastian Gutwein in a news release. “At the same time, we must accommodate people who need to use the court. The plan we are adopting attempts to balance those needs.”
The plan includes reducing the number of permit spots in the East Main Lot next to the fire station to create additional kiosk pay-and-display spaces for visitors to the courthouse, library, YMCA, movie theater and other East Main Street businesses, and extending the time limit to four hours. There will also be specifically marked spaces for kiosk pay-and-display and permit parking the in the Hope Street Lot, allowing more pay-and-display spaces for visitors to that area.
New, on-street permit-only spaces for permit holders will be added along Franklin, Park, Church, Prospect and Congress streets, which will be temporary until the Olive Street parking garage is built. Oliver Street permit parkers will be relocated to accommodate the closure of that lot for the construction of the garage.
The plan also calls for the town to assign permits to specific lots and restructure the fees for permit parking to ensure permit holders will have a spot at all times in their designated lot. Greenfield will be working with the Franklin Regional Transit Authority to provide a new, free shuttle service between town parking lots and the downtown area.
“This is a good plan to manage parking in the short term,” Mayor William Martin said in the release. “It will work. It does serve to highlight, however, how important a new parking garage is for Greenfield’s long-term growth.”
The new parking plan is scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 1 to allow residents and businesses an extended period to get used to the new configuration before the return of the courthouse.