The town manager already has the authority to erect “no parking” signs.
By Donna Perry
Staff Writer

JAY – Selectmen voted Monday to ban parking on Route 4 from C.N. Brown at 82 Main St. to just north of Franchetti’s near the cell phone store. The “no parking” zone will go into effect in a couple weeks, once the signs are erected.

They also gave a Route 17 property owner 28 days to get an unlicensed junkyard cleaned up or they’re turning it over to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Selectmen voted last month not to repaint white parking lines along a narrow section of Route 4, also known as Main Street, when it came to their attention that the spaces infringe upon the state’s travel lane widths. Police Chief Larry White supported the idea of “no parking” for safety reasons.

Chairman Bill Harlow had told those at last month’s meeting that the board would hold a public hearing prior to a vote to prohibit parking. He said after Monday’s meeting, he got his terminology mixed up. The town did hold a public hearing in February 2002 prior to voting when a resident requested that parking be prohibited in a specific area on Hillsdale Road.

But after recently reviewing the town’s traffic ordinance the town manager already has the authority to erect “no parking” signs in certain areas. A police officer went door-to-door last week to inform people in the area about Monday night’s meeting.

Those areas the manager is authorized to prohibit parking include where the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles would create especially hazardous conditions or would usually delay or severely impede the flow of traffic.

The ordinance states “No stopping, standing or parking near hazardous or congested places; vehicles found in such places will be towed or booted.”

If a vehicle is found stopped, standing or parked in such areas, the police chief is authorized to impound or, at his discretion immobilize the violating vehicle.

If there were legal 8-foot by 20-foot parking spots in the stretch north of Franchetti’s to C.N. Brown, parking would not be prohibited.

“If there is a legal parking spot on the street, we don’t have a problem with it,” Harlow said.

Harlow admitted eliminating parking would be hard for people, but the area is dangerous.

The parking prohibition doesn’t include emergency vehicles or temporary parking for a few minutes for loading purposes.

In other business, selectmen voted to give Leroy Pollis on East Dixfield Road 28 days to clean up the 50 or so junk vehicles and a mass of tires and other debris on his property. Selectmen had given Pollis until May 31 to have all 60 vehicles cleared and to remove 300 tires. About eight cars have been removed and another 10 or so are slated to go soon. Four truckloads of metal and about three or four loads of garbage, including old furniture, were also taken to the Jay transfer station.

If the property is not cleaned up in the time allotted, they said selectmen will turn the matter over to the DEP.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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