Charlie Breitrose
Filippello Park’s two athletic fields, picnic area, playground and more draw lots of visitors. Nearby residents complain that users are using all the parking in their neighborhood.
Neighbors of streets near Filippello Park have complained of parking problems and other issues related to users of the East Watertown park, and their Town Councilor is seeking some solutions.
At meetings held in May, July and September, residents aired their concerns, much of which involved parking. District A Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis wrote an open letter to the Town Administration suggesting some steps to help residents of streets just south of the park — Clarendon and Berkeley streets — and the area of Arlington Street near Filippello Park.
“Lack of parking for Park Users has been the harrowing cry that can be heard at every meeting; from every resident,” Kounelis wrote in her letter. “The responses from the Team have been courteous, but without substance. Is anyone listening to the residents, or simply following a scripted agenda for the use of Filippello Park?”
The residents of those streets have limited parking on their streets. There is a parking lot meant for the neighborhood on Glen Circle (which connects Berkeley and Clarendon streets) however the spaces are often used be people using Filippello Park when the park is open. It sits next to an entrance to the park, which Kounelis said was supposed to be limited to emergency access according to a 1983 agreement, but was opened round 1999 or 2000.
Meanwhile, the Town is considering adding lights for the area of Filippello Park near Arlington Street and replacing the lights on the field on the Grove Street side. Residents worry that users will park in their neighborhood even later if the new lights are installed.
Kounelis suggested the following steps:
• elimination of the pedestrian access to the Park from Glen Circle to adhere to the vision of the 1983 Town Council Resolution
• create resident parking permits for the area
• reject the expenditure for the new field lighting
• have the Town take a piece of land on Arlington Street by eminent domain to be used for parking by park users
“Filippello Park is a gem for the entire community to savor the pleasures of the oasis in the East End,” Kounelis said. “The time is overdue to give-back to the Filippello Park neighborhood that has endured the burden, that the masses have enjoyed.”
Town Solves Filippello Park Parking Problems for Fall, Not Long Term Ones
While I understand that there’s a problem, and applaud Councilor Kounelis’s efforts
to resolve it, eminent domain is repugnant (even if the Bill of Rights does permit it),
and should never be used except for critical circumstances and uses, and even then, only
as a last resort.
To seize someones land under the color of law for the purpose of providing parking is unacceptable.