JAY – Selectmen voted Monday not to paint parking lines along a narrow stretch of Main Street from C.N. Brown to Franchetti’s.

Selectmen will consider an amendment to the board’s parking ordinance in the near future that would ban parking in front of houses, including several apartment buildings.

Highway Foreman John Johnson asked selectmen about painting white parking lines from about Otis Street to Elm Street at their last meeting. Johnson said he wasn’t in favor of painting the lines due to the danger in the narrow section of road. The parking lines infringe on the width of the travel lanes.

Johnson checked with state Department of Transportation representatives, and they said when the improvements to Route 4 are done there won’t be any parking along that stretch from C. N. Brown to Franchetti’s.

Selectmen’s Chairman Bill Harlow said now that the town has been made aware of the danger of painting the lines, the town would become liable if something happens.

Police Chief Larry White Sr. sent a letter to selectmen and Town Manager Ruth Marden proposing the town adopt an ordinance to ban parking on Main Street from 84 Main St. to the intersection of Main and Elm streets.

“We have had an ongoing problem with vehicles parking on the sidewalk and causing a problem for pedestrians,” White wrote. “We have also had ongoing problems with tractor-trailers parking on the side of the road, which also block the sidewalk and block the vision of tenants exiting their driveways into traffic. Main Street is not wide enough to have properly marked parking spaces to accommodate both parked vehicles and street traffic, depending on vehicle size.”

White wrote that in addition to causing a hazard for area tenants and pedestrians, this also is a hazard for any motorist who parks on Main Street and attempts to exit their vehicle into traffic.

Apartment building owner and resident Wayne Whittemore asked town proposals for people who normally park along the street. He said he has quite a few rental units in that area and has some parking behind his buildings, but tenants’ visitors need to park somewhere.

Up on the hill, Harlow said, the street is way too narrow to allow parking. He said the town would explore options on additional parking.

“I’ve been in Chisholm all my life … Elm Street to Otis Street is terrible for parking,” said resident Bill Deshaies, who lives on the street.

Deshaies said he had a parking lot, and it was difficult to pull out of his driveway due to vehicles blocking his view.

“It’s terrible,” he said. “It’s been going on for years, but years ago we didn’t have the vehicles we have now . . . it’s bad news . . . it’s hell up through there.”

Johnson said he was told the DOT will rebuild the section of Route 4/Main Street within the current easement and will not be taking any buildings for the project. A hearing on the DOT road construction project is slated for June 3 at Murray Hall.

The state is projecting that the 13,300 vehicles that pass over this particular section of road will increase to 14,000 vehicles per day in the future, Harlow said.

Harlow said selectmen will hold a public hearing on any changes to the board’s parking ordinance with a vote coming within six weeks.

dperry@sunjournal.com