Braintree, Petersen Pool Developer Reach Shared Parking Agreement

Braintree, MA - The town and developer of Petersen Pool are on the same page when it comes to a shared parking agreement between the high school and the unbuilt facility.

Monday, the Braintree School Committee voted to approve the agreement, clearing a hurdle for the pool, hockey rinks, and indoor turf.

“We believe the Town of Braintree and the six-acre site that is Carson Field, the parking area, and the high school can co-exist,” Mayor Joseph Sullivan said.

As part of the deal, there will be 17 days have where the high school will get priority for the parking lot. During those days, which include events such as graduation and parent-teacher conferences, the Petersen Pool facility would not be open and Braintree High School would get access to all of the parking on the site.

In the deal, the developer for the private facility will provide a total of 461 parking spaces within the Carson Field area and 16-acre highway business-zoned parcel. Currently, the high school has 722 parking spaces with an aim to increase that number to 738 and 835 for Petersen Pool.

Any parking constructed outside the six-acre parcel cannot be done without the consent of the Braintree School Committee, according to the agreement.

“There will be some parking across the street. I think many people will park there anyways because they’ll go to one of the restaurants and walk over,” Sullivan said.

To better coordinate, the pool and the high school will discuss conflicting dates at the beginning of each month, with the list of major conflicts subject to change.

Construction was scheduled to start soon, but the project remains in the planning stage. The developers gave an update to the Planning Board this week and are scheduled to continue the public hearing on July 12.