Town Common may call for Central St. closing
Published on March 31st, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - The Town Common/Parking Committee moved ahead with plans for the second phase of the project at its meeting last Wednesday night, making a decision to focus its efforts on a common which would encompass a green expanse from Main Street to Town Hall's front steps.
The decision was not made lightly, however, with much discussion rooted on the impact that the closing of Central Street would have on the downtown and surrounding areas. But, In the end, a vote was taken to develop more comprehensive plans of an upscaled and more expensive form of the town common which will be put on display at a public hearing, most likely to occur in early May.
A lasting impact
"I feel an obligation as a committee member to leave with a decision that's going to be here for the next 100 years and has a good aesthetic quality," said Stephen Born of the plan.
The designs as presented at the meeting on Wednesday by the engineering firm Levy, Eldredge & Wagner Associates, call for the closing of Church and Central streets and the possible relocation of Winter Street in a slightly southerly direction. The Winter Street one-way roadway/parking lot was designed to incorporate 31 spaces.
Parking, of course, is a major issue for residents, employers and shoppers in the downtown area. In order to meet the needs of the public, another lot (12 spaces) to the front of the Police Station and rear of the First Congregational Church is proposed as well as an expansion of the existing Town Hall lot by 24 spaces.
These 67 spaces, in addition to the 90 which will be established in the new municipal parking lot to be built off of Franklin Street, should amply offset, committee members said, the 69 spaces which would be lost in Central, Church and Winter street's on-street parking as well as on-street parking on the northerly side of Main Street which could either be replaced by a second lane or a new sidewalk.
Traffic study
According to traffic engineer Ananda Sumanadasa, who conducted a study of the impact of closing the various streets involved in the plan, and project engineer Eugene Bolinger, the loss of Central Street would have surprisingly little impact on traffic flow in the downtown area.
"What we were most concerned with was traffic that moves in a northerly direction on Central Street," Bolinger said, surmising, "It is possible to lose that section of Central Street."
Sumanadasa said that a traffic count on March 10 detailed the paths of the 535 vehicles which traveled on that particular stretch of roadway and showed a vast majority of cars were taking a northbound route. These cars, he said, would most likely divert their paths to either Main Street or Franklin Street if the road were closed. As committee members had assumed, the peak time for Central Street usage was between 4:15 and 5:15 p.m. During this period, 259 vehicles (about 75 percent of which traveled in a northerly direction) used the street for travel.
Sumanadasa said that a transfer of these vehicles from Central to Main and Franklin would not cause the congestion that one might suspect.
"That will really make no difference on Main," he told the committee.
The sales pitch
Committee Chairman Mark Vaughan, however, voiced a different objection, one which he said had been brought to his attention by residents in recent days.
"I think there's some concern that the Town Hall is only open eight hours during the day. After those hours, there's just going to be a lot of green space. I've heard a lot of comments that we'll be shutting off the Town Hall."
Committee member Donald Borchelt disagreed with this comment as did many others in attendance. Borchelt explained that once the designs were refined and up for display to the public, people will understand what will be gained with an expansive town common.
"I think we have to get to a certain point conceptually and then sell it (to the public). A lot of it is how you sell it," he said.
Borchelt also explained that he would like to gain approval of the plan at town meeting.
"Personally, I probably wouldn't feel comfortable making this decision without first going back for a town meeting vote."
One possible problem with this approach is the price tag for the larger common. With a town meeting-appropriated $4.6 million now being dispersed in large chunks to purchase the various properties involved in the project's two phases and to pay for the construction of the municipal parking lot, Project Manager Joseph Slavet has estimated that only about $400,000 would remain for the actual construction of the common itself.
Bolinger explained that a lesser common, which would include the demolition of the three buildings on the southerly side of Winter Street, the closing of Winter Street and the area between Winter and Church streets, could be accomplished with those funds. If the committee chose to incorporate the closing of Church and Central streets, however, the price would have to be raised. Bolinger estimated that an additional $200,000 to $300,000 would be needed to fulfill this wish.
The committee agreed that the safest and most appropriate solution to this problem is not to bring it before town meeting for additional funds, but to request donations from the business community and the public at large.
"I wouldn't want to go to town meeting unless its an absolute last gasp," Vaughan said.
"The money issue isn't that big," Borchelt chimed in. "Two hundred thousand dollars on a $4,000,000 project isn't a lot of money. This is really a significant decision that we're making for the town here and I think we want this common to have the most impact for the money.
"In the scheme of things, I'd hate to see us make a decision based on five percent of the budget alone."
Selectman John Biggio agreed, saying, "If this is what we want, I think there's a way that we can go out there and get that money. That's where I think our flexibility is. If we feel strongly enough about it, it's going to start moving."
What does the public think?
Finally, included in the traffic study which was undertaken on March 10, several Town Hall employees and visitors were asked how they would feel about the closing of Central Street.
From Town Hall employees:
"Opposed to closing Central Street."
"Do not close Central Street as this is where the Town's front door is facing."
Town Clerk John Hanright - "Will have a huge impact on voting if Central Street is closed."
From visitors:
"Don't close Central."
"Keep Central as it is."
"Don't want to block off Central Street or Church Street."
Of the 10 responses listed in the survey, all 10 objected to the street's closing.
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