BRUNSWICK

Several changes to Brunswick’s parking ordinance will be discussed at a public hearing in two weeks.

The changes include limiting the use of the long-term parking lot on Union Street to bus and train travelers only, as the lot was frequently used by non-travelers in the wintertime.

There will also be parking bans implemented on the corner of McLellan Street and Harpswell Road, Federal Street, near the railroad bridge, and on the intersection of Storer Road and Old Bath Road, as suggested by the Public Works Department.

A Page Street parking issue will also be revisited, as two privately marked no parking zones painted on the street were removed this spring.

Homeowners at Page Street have requested that the zones be legally “reinstated,” the complaint being that some of the driveways are difficult to back out of when vehicles are parked opposite the street.

“At that point, no one asked to have the fake ones become permanent, but now that the fake ones are gone, it’s become problematic,” said Brunswick Police Commander Mark Waltz.

An additional amendment includes banning parking on one side of Barrows Drive by Coffin School.

According to Waltz, school buses were having difficulty driving onto the street in the winter. In addition to the snowbanks, parents picking up children from school would park their cars on both sides of the street.

“We did a temporary order, banning parking from the side right along the school, which worked quite well so the buses could get in and out easier,” Waltz said. “It’s easier to see kids crossing the street, so we’d like to make that permanent.”

Councilor Jane Millett was concerned that the ban would force children to cross the street.

“It would seem to me that when parents are picking children up, it would be better … if those children wouldn’t have to cross the street,” Millett pointed out.

However, Waltz said after reviewing the issue with the school resource officer, banning the side closest to the school’s property and playground seemed to be the safer option.

“We picked the school side because it’s easier to see people crossing the street,” Waltz said. “And because of concerns of child abduction, it’s easier for the school to monitor and know if a car is not supposed to be there.”

The public hearing is set for Monday, July 20.

dkim@timesrecord