Community Corner

This Week in Winchester History: Town Votes Against Parking Garage

Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly against a potential parking garage in the downtown area.

This is a regular column with items drawn from past editions of the Winchester Star.

1911

What's that smell?

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Winchester residents met with the Board of Health after signing a petition complaining about the smell coming from the Beggs & Cobb's tannery on Swanton Street. The smell stems from a sewage problem.

The board decided that the tannery needs to solve the problem and deemed it a nuisance.

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Manchester Field

The playground at is expected to open this week.

1961

Lynch Vandalism

The Junior High School was broken into. The perpetrators destroyed the vents, damaged the wiring to the PA system and stole plumbing equipment.

Winchester's a good place to live

A US Business Survey showed that Winchester is a favorable market to live in. The town's residents had an average net earning of $8,109, the national average was $6,723 and the state average was $7,511.

According to the survey, Winchester accounts for .0109 percent of the population, while having .0134 percent of that national income.

The survey ranked towns based on market potential, income, spending and growth. Winchester had a rating of 103, which was three percent better than the national average.

1986

Parking Garage

Town Meeting voted against tearing down the Kelly Hanes building, to build a downtown parking garage. According to the Star, speakers at Town Meeting cited a "lack of need" for a parking garage. The garage would have been built between Shore Road and Winchester Place.

In the end, 100 members opposed the garage, while 30 voted in favor of it. To buld the garage, the town would require eminent domain, in order to take the Kelly Hanes building.

"We believe the building is not consistent with the downtown renovations," selectman Wade Welch said to the Star. "There is a documented need for off-street parking."

The selectmen voted 3-2 in favor of the garage.

"Tonight I ask you no to take away anyone's property, anyone's livelihood to provide parking," Gerald Cullen, the son's owner of the building, said to the Star.

Beware of the Fells

The Board of Selectmen decided to start arresting people who go swimming in the Fells.

Limit the Drinks

The selectmen also began to crackdown on the town's businesses that serve liquor. The board will allow patrons to order one drink before their meal, but they must be seated and at a table when the order. Meals don't include snacks, like chips, pretzels or peanuts.

All the information for this story came from the Winchester Star.


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