North Main Street Could Lose Over 20 Parking Spots

Mansfield, MA — The downtown area on North Main Street could lose over 20 spaces as part of an effort to make the street safer for vehicle traffic.

DPW Director Lee Azinheira and Highway Department Operations Manager Mark Cook recently went over the proposal with the selectmen, telling the board that there simply isn’t enough space on parts of the street to have two lanes of traffic and parking on both sides.

“It’s so tight now that we have a lot of larger vehicles where the mirrors hit,” Azinheira said.

According to Azinheira, the area of North Main Street from Fulton Street to Park Street will lose one spot, Park Street to Court Street will lose two spots, Court to Villa will lose three, Villa to High will have a substantial decrease with 10 lost spaces, High to Cottage loses three, and Cottage to Thomas will go down by six.

To help make up for the lost parking spaces, Azinheira said an unpaved area of Old Colony Way can be paved and hold 18 cars.

Members of the board appeared worried about the impact of losing the spaces.

“We hear from people who have condos in the area who say there’s not enough parking, we hear from merchants that there’s not enough parking and now we’re reducing 26 spots,” Selectman Frank DelVecchio said.

Chairman Jess Aptowitz suggested adding parking at the former Fales Fuel site and making a proposed park for the space smaller.

Local businesses expressed concern with the proposed changes. Bob Todd, owner of True Value, said he was worried that the changes would make it more difficult for an 18-wheeler to make deliveries to his store.

Building owner Bernie O'Malley said removing one space could hurt his tenants.

“I hear all this conversation about long term planning and I don’t see much of a future for my building,” he said.

Yvonne DeFazio of Trattoria Della Nonna told the board most of the spots being taken away are close to her restaurant and the new proposed parking is too far.

“If you take that lot where you’re talking, it’s really not customer friendly,” she said. “If you do that, it’s going to hurt my business.”

The selectmen took no votes and will revisit the issue on June 22.