Winchester Proposes Parking Changes

Winchester is looking to make some parking changes around town.

Planning Board Chairman Lance Grenzeback presented the proposed implementation schedule for the Winchester Town Center Parking Management Plan.

“The plan would change the parking in town in order to meet identified parking needs, ensure that benefits and burdens are shared equitably across users groups, provide adequate time for the town to evaluate parking and pay station equipment and minimize town costs and maximize opportunities to monitor and adjust the program,” Grenzeback said.

The plan would provide one hour of free parking in the center of town, which would be labeled as Red Zone parking.

Free parking would be available for up to three hours in the Mt. Vernon, Town Hall/Library and Aberjona lots.

Orange Zone permits would be available for purchase for all-day, paid-permit parking in the Cullen, Waterfield and Aberjona lots near the train station.

All-day parking would be available to residents who purchased a Yellow Zone permit, which would cover School Street, Dix Street, parts of Park Street and Elmwood Street.

Free, all-day, on-street parking would be available on Green Street for students and teachers who had a permit for Green Zone parking.

All-day, paid-permit parking would be available on Bacon Street at Wedgemere Station for Winchester resident commuters for Purple Zone parking lots.

Although Grenzeback noted the plan appears to be complicated, he said right now there are 32 different parking regulations, and this plan would lower it to six.

“The main focus of this is to boost the economy of downtown Winchester,” Grenzeback said. “Employees of businesses are using the close-in front door spaces that should be available to customers. The parking in town is totally confusing with its varying time restrictions. The commuter rail lots are underpriced compared to other stations along the Lowell Line and that attracts out-of-town commuters to take advantage of our lots.”

The plans would designate the following areas: the Municipal Center, around town hall for residents and visitors with business at Town Hall; the and the , which would provide free 90-minute parking; and the Commercial Center, which includes areas near Main Street and the rotary, which would provide free one-hour parking.

The plan also calls for pay stations for people wanting to park for longer periods of time by having the ability to pay by the hour.

Perliminary estimates put forth by Grenzeback estimate that the town center parking program would cover its costs and could generate sufficient revenue to partially fund a public-private, not-for-profit business improvement district.

At present, this plan is for discussion only and has not been approved or adopted. The next steps include a public hearing and presentation, a more developed cost assessment, developing a public information plan and developing an implementation plan.

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