Hi Everyone,

Thanks for taking the time to read through this petition. As local residents, business owners, real estate owners, and consumers in the Downtown Pembroke area, we all know that parking is limited. This petition aims to eliminate a recently enacted winter parking ban that will greatly affect commerce in our quaint downtown area.

Petition to change Parking Code 180-9 Parking

Currently the Town code is:

§ 180-9 Parking

The Town has instituted a winter parking ban from January 1st through March 31st from 12 midnight through 6AM. The Director of public works also has the opportunity to at any time with notice declare a winter emergency parking ban. In the event that a parking ban is called, all notifications will be made to the news and radio stations as well as posting on the Town’s website and social media sites. If a snow emergency has been called, parking on the road is allowed for the following areas: Glass Street from Main Street to the United States Post Office. Main Street from the Allenstown Town Line bridge North to Broadway, Union Street from the Perry Eaton Building to Main Street. This is allowed so that the businesses can continue to operate. Penalties for violating this policy are referenced in 191-9 Prohibited Stopping, Standing or Parking.

We propose that the Selectboard make the following changes:

REMOVE: [The Town has instituted a winter parking ban from January 1st through March 31st from 12 midnight through 6AM.] "The Director of public works also has the opportunity to at any time with notice declare a winter emergency parking ban. In the event that a parking ban is called, all notifications will be made to the news and radio stations as well as posting on the Town’s website and social media sites. If a snow emergency has been called, [ADD: No parking shall be allowed on any street for the duration of the declared winter emergency parking ban with the exception of parking on the road is allowed for the following areas]: Glass Street from Main Street to the United States Post Office. Main Street from the Allenstown Town Line bridge North to Broadway, Union Street from the Perry Eaton Building to Main Street. This is allowed so that the businesses can continue to operate. Penalties for violating this policy are referenced in 191-9 Prohibited Stopping, Standing or Parking.

Listed below are our reasons and concerns:

1. On average, Pembroke receives 5” or more of snow on only 4 days each winter. See enclosed chart. Disallowing on-street parking for 90 days out of 90 is extremely burdensome for a great many families when it is only potentially useful for 4 days out of 90. Many must park on their lawns, double park in their driveways or park in the municipal parking lot and walk back to their homes.

2. The current code is inconsistent with its purpose as it does nothing to address potential snowstorms that have come as early as late October and as late as mid-April. The proposed changes address that inconsistency.

3. Businesses are negatively impacted by the current code because for these 3 months out of the year the municipal parking lot is completely full by 5 PM leaving no place for customers to park that want to patronize downtown business that are open in the evening. It is full by 5pm because as local residents come home from work, they know the only place they can park is in the municipal lot and they are not going out at 10, 11 or 12PM to move their cars once they are home. And if they did, they likely wouldn’t find a spot to park in.

4. The Municipal parking lot is sufficient to meet both local parking needs and also accommodate Parking for evening patrons of downtown businesses. See the 2 attached photos taken on November 7th at 10:00 PM. There are approximately 25 open parking spaces.

5. A snow emergency declaration would allow a street parking ban for 24, 36, 48 hours or however long the Public Works Director thought was necessary to clear the streets. The current code only applies to ¼ of the day, as if it only snowed between midnight and 6 AM.