Franklin: Parking meters going, perhaps permanently
By Mike Gleason/Daily News Staff
Posted Sep. 25, 2015 at 9:22 PM
FRANKLIN - The town has removed parking meters along downtown East
Central Street, a move that could be made permanent.
Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said the meters were being removed
to accommodate ongoing roadwork taking place in the center of town.
He said the status of the meters after the work is completed is in question.
"There's been a proposal to not (put the meters back), but it hasn't been
approved," he said.
Nutting said the police department would be enforcing a two-hour parking
limit where the meters once were. That regulation, he said, would remain
in effect until the Town Council adopts more permanent rules.
According to Nutting, East Central Street meters will be the only ones
taken out this year. The Main Street meters will be removed to coincide
with roadwork there next year.
Franklin Downtown Partnership Executive Director Lisa Piana said she
believes businesses downtown would welcome the change.
"We've been meeting on the subject for over a year," she said. "I think
most of the businesses are very excited - this allows customers to not have
to worry about feeding the meters."
Piana said she had seen the town remove the meters from the Artistry
Kitchen restaurant side of the street, and that the remainder of the East
Central Street meters would be taken out over the next week.
"It's my understanding that the meter person will still come around to
make sure vehicles don't park for more than two hours," she said. "The
reason for that is to ensure people don't park there for the train station."
Piana said it was her belief that the two-hour limit would ultimately be
refined based on the location of the spaces.
Mike Gleason can be reached at 508-634-7546 or
mgleason@wickedlocal.com. For news throughout the day, follow him
on Twitter @MGleason_MDN.