Committee Recommends Prohibiting Parking On Seaview St.

CHATHAM – With vehicles parked along the south side of the road from Highland Avenue to Chatham Bars Inn, squeezing down Seaview Street can be a challenge, as can crossing the street, even in golf carts.

Parked cars limit visibility of the crosswalk, and vehicles traveling down the road have to cross the yellow line to avoid the parked cars, effectively narrowing Seaview Street to a single lane.

Both of these factors convinced members of the traffic safety committee to recommend that parking be prohibited along Seaview Street.

“Parking half on and half off the road creates a line of sight problem that’s dangerous for carts, people, dogs, cats, whoever’s crossing the street,” said committee member Mark Hoffman. Prohibiting parking along the street would “almost instantaneously” solve the problem, he added.

The committee received a request from the golf advisory committee to look at the situation with the crosswalk. The group suggested cross hatching in the crosswalk, prohibiting parking on either side of the crosswalk or installing a flashing warning light for pedestrian crossing, similar to those that have been recently installed at bike trail crossings.

After examining the situation, committee members rejected the flashing light idea, due to the residential nature of the area. Members noted that it is difficult for vehicles to turn east out of Highland Avenue, because of the vehicles parked on the other side of the street.

Parking is prohibited on both sides of Seaview Street west of Highland Avenue, but to the east parking is allowed on the south side of the street up to the loading zone at the inn. In some spots vehicles are able to pull completely off the road, but in many places parked vehicles intrude on the travel lane.

Many of the vehicles apparently belong to CBI workers, but committee member Dave Morrison said on several occasions he drove by other inn parking lots that had space available and wondered why staff could not park there.

“I’m sure there are places they can find for their employees to park,” he said.

“If we choose to recommend no parking,” said member Diane Rowlings, “then they’ll have to find those other parking spots.” If CBI employees have other parking options, the only impact of prohibiting parking along Seaview Street would be to increase safety, another committee member added.

There are some spots where vehicles can pull completely off the road. Not counting those spaces, prohibiting parking along Seaview Street would eliminate about 10 parking spots.

Because of the safety concerns and the imminent arrival of the busy summer season, committee members decided to recommend to the select board that parking be prohibited on both sides of Seaview Street as soon as possible.