I hope the city begins communicating to landlords by mail in the most communicative languages that parking codes are on the books and will be enforced.

Richie C,

I am not sure what Chelsea Parking can do about this, these cars all have residential stickers.. I think the owner needs to receive a letter from Zoning, Inspectional Services and the City Manager.

Thank You
Eye On The Neighborhood

This is absolutely ENRAGING!!!! Its not enough that Mr. Ambrosino single handedly decided to remove our day time parking restrictions so that he could ingratiate himself into the political entanglement of Cambridge Health Alliance but now I have no place to park at night as well. What on earth am I paying taxes for??? I am clearly not receiving any benefits from the taxes I pay to this city. Richie C has been my only place to go to for advice and direction and has been very helpful in resolving past issues, I hope that he can help me.

Richie C. Is spot on in his recommendations and strategy for a resolution in this case. This seems to be a gray area for the city to address where the landlord has ample off street parking and the tenants are banned from using the spaces and/or choose to park on the street for convenience purposes. Let's hope for a ruling and resolution soon. If the ruling is fair and reasonable to all parties then it will be welcome city wide.

I do need to apologize for my previous bitter tone and inflection. Please now that I am not a nasty terrible person I have been driven to the point of no return over the past 2 years because my rights have not been protected or considered.. I feel like I have been taken advantage of and used and it is not a good feeling.

This is City Manager Tom Ambrosino.

There is no easy fix to this parking problem.

First, the Chelsea Zoning Ordinance merely requires that a two family home have two off-street parking spaces. It appears this parcel meets this zoning requirement. There is nothing in the Zoning Ordinance that requires that an owner or any of the tenants actually park in such spaces. Nothing prevents any resident from utilizing on-street parking.
The fact that many residents have parking stickers which allow them to park in the street at all times is not something that the City's current parking rules regulate. I suppose the Traffic Commission could place some limit on the number of parking stickers allowed for any one address, but it has never done so.

The one concern that you raise that may have a regulatory solution is the allegation about overcrowding in the rental unit. That is something ISD can investigate and enforce if there is a violation. But, I caution that the rules on overcrowding are set forth in the Building Code, and the occupancy limits in that Code for dwelling units are fairly liberal. Nonetheless, I will ask ISD to investigate this address.

I must disagree with your comment that I was responsible for the change in parking regulations on Garland Avenue. Pursuant to the Chelsea City Charter, adopted by the residents in 1994, it is the Traffic & Parking Commission alone, and not the City Manager, that has exclusive jurisdiction over parking and traffic issues in this City. I played no role, and did not cast any vote, on the Garland Avenue parking situation.

As far as I can determine, based upon conversations with both the past and present City Clerk, the original parking restriction on Garland, previously set forth in Regulation 5.23.4.1(C), which required a sticker to park on Garland between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., was not regularly enforced. Sometime in the Fall of 2015, the Traffic Commission was requested to consider eliminating this restriction. On September 29, 2015, the Commission voted to move the matter to a Public Hearing and sent notices to all abutters. The Public Hearing took place on October 27, 2015. No neighbors spoke in favor of maintaining the restriction. As a result, the Commission formally voted at that Oct. 27 meeting to eliminate this provision. Currently, the only residential parking restriction on Garland is the normal overnight parking restriction in place everywhere else in the City. If neighbors wish to restore the former daytime restriction, they must petition the Traffic Commission, and another public hearing would be necessary.

Thank Mr. Ambrosino,
It appears I owe you and apology, please accept my sincere apologies. I have spoken to each and every home owner on my city block and I can assure you that we are not happy with the removal of our parking protection. The matter only serves to inconvenience those of us who live in the 80 block of Garland as the Hospital employees do not want to walk up the hill to work. Jay Ash was able to obtain 24hour restriction for all of us along the everet border and it worked and was wonderful. As for the city's calling for the meeting of neighbors, that meeting was changed a few times and people had conflicting work schedules so our block was not adequately represented. I am quite happy that you proposed that we get a petition because I happen to have one loaded with signatures. I will be in to submit it after the holidays as once the snow begins to fly the parking issue up here on the hill becomes dangerously heated with enraged home owners who by all rights deserve a place to park before outside interested parties. Again please accept my sincere apologies.

Thank You,
Roxanne Erickson-Lydon

No problem. You should pursue the matter with Traffic Commission after the Holidays.

I'm only closing this matter as a housekeeping effort. Nothing further can be done here without action from the Traffic & Parking Commission as discussed above.