All Eyes on Parking Near Old Police Station

With the migration of the police station west along Main Street in September, prized Watertown Square parking spaces have opened up and town officials have some ideas for what to do with the spots.

Some say the spaces should be reserved for firefighters at the nearby fire headquarters; others say the spaces should be for any town employee. Another option is to turn them into general parking.

The parking in question falls into three areas:

• In the lot behind the Watertown Free Public Library
• On Whooley Way, in front of the old police department
• Between Whooley Way and Church Street where police cruisers used to park

The spots in the library lot are particularly prized. Town Manager Michael Driscoll wants to keep the spaces for town employees, so residents can use spaces closer to Town Hall and the Watertown Free Public Library.

"If a senior or young mother with children comes to the library, they can park close to the library," Driscoll said.

He told the Town Council that the spaces behind the library, farthest from the building, and those where the police used to park their cruisers will be reserved for town employees. District A Councilor Angeline Kounelis said she would like to see the spaces where the police used to park specifically reserved for the Fire Department.

Thomas Thibaut, president of the Watertown firefighters union, said 10 firefighters are on duty at the Fire Headquarters on Main Street at all times, and they need a place to park.

Driscoll said he did not want to designate any spaces to one department or another.

Council President Mark Sideris said He does not want to make a quick decision before the long-term future of the old police station is known.

"I would like to defer any decision until we determine the future use of the police station," Sideris said. "If the town chooses to rent the building it will have to be decided if it will be renting the spaces, and if it sells the building a decision will have to be made about what to do with the spaces."

Sideris recommended that the issue be referred to the Town Council's Economic Development and Planning Committee for more study.