Marion Selectmen talk parking, privilege stickers
Dec 3, 2019
Donna Hemphill appeared before Selectmen to talk about the sticker policy she made. Photo by: Grace Ballenger
MARION — Selectmen approved a new privilege sticker policy, but not until after a discussion about parking practices in town.
The town needed a new policy because privilege stickers were previously tied in with transfer station stickers. The Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District bought new stickers to use a few months ago, effectively forcing the towns to separate the two stickers.
Selectman John Waterman had asked Town Administrator Jay McGrail to consider a non-resident sticker for people who do not live in town but work there.
McGrail responded on Dec. 3 that he was concerned that the sticker would overcrowd Silvershell Beach, and said he would not recommend it.
Waterman countered that he had not intended the sticker to be for the beach, but instead to allow non-residents to park at Island Wharf and Old Landing.
The stickers would serve a similar demographic as the current Boat Owner Stickers, which are $100 and are required when a person has a mooring or other boat storage and is not a resident or taxpayer. These stickers are not available otherwise, so the parking stickers would allow non-boat-owners to park.
If a new nonresident parking option was implemented these Boat Owner Stickers would still be in effect since they are a requirement in the Regulations
“The answer may be that because of limited parking capacity it doesn’t make any sense,” McGrail said of the non-resident parking sticker.
Selectmen argued that pricing will be the best control on parking. Donna Hemphill, the administrative assistant to the Harbormaster, who drafted the policy suggested that the town could communicate clearly and limit the parking privilege to the first 20 people who sign up.
Many other aspects of the privilege stickers stayed the same, since the new policy really just removed the language needed for transfer station stickers. Privilege stickers still require proof of residency and are tied to the purchaser, unless that person buys a guest pass, which can be transferred. The policy also still allows for $10 day passes at the discretion of the attendant.
Selectmen approved the policy, and McGrail said he would do more research on the parking question.
