Dear Mayor Curtatone,
In response to the Traffic Commission’s May 21st votes to change parking regulations in the City, a group of Somerville businesses, neighborhood associations, artists, residents and other interested individuals have come together to discuss proactive ways we could work with the City to address the impact we feel the parking changes will have on the city's economic vital and quality of life. We have formed a group called SPARC, the Somerville Parking Advocacy and Reform Coalition to speak with a unified, positive voice.
SPARCs mission is as follows:
SPARC seeks to work collaboratively with the City of Somerville towards the creation of an innovative parking plan, devised through community input, which allows the City to serve the vehicle parking needs of residents and business patrons, to maintain active business districts, and to generate the revenue needed to continue vital City services. SPARC strives to ensure that Somerville establishes itself as a national leader in managing parking for economic vitality.
SPARC members include:
- Davis Square Area Resident Business Initiative (DARBI)
- Somerville Local First
- Union Square Main Streets
- East Somerville Main Streets
- Magoun Square Neighborhood Association
- Somerville artists
- Somerville residents
We appreciate that you have established the Parking Solutions Task Force and have recommended modification to the changes. We would like to request that wider community input be included in this process. We understand the financial crisis that the City, and by default all of us, are currently experiencing. We also feel that you have done a very good job of providing countless avenues for community input in other areas of City decision making. Given the wide reaching impacts that parking changes can have on so many constituents, we ask that you engage in a similar process for this issue.
SPARC would like to request a meeting with you, as soon as possible, to discuss ways in which SPARC members and their networks can become involved in shaping the course of these parking regulation changes in Somerville. We anticipate a large turn out at Thursday's Traffic Commission meeting and would like to meet with you before that meeting, if possible.
We will be in touch with your staff to schedule a meeting.
You can also reach us at SomervillePARC@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Somerville Parking Advocacy and Reform Coalition
