Excel High Parking Spot Meeting Recap

Written by Heather Foley

Because I am a committed servant of the good people of South Boston, I went to the community meeting for the Southie High/Excel High School parking kerfuffle.  The meeting was not great, you guys.  Not much of an agenda, not a lot of info, and as far as Southie community meetings go, rather boring, but here’s how it all went down.

First of all I was late because I couldn’t find a parking spot.  Yes, I know driving there was a huge mistake, but I wasn’t coming from home, I was coming from another meeting and had to drive.  I felt that by driving around I looking for a spot I’d get a real feel for Thomas Park’s parking struggles, and believe me, I did.  Also, by driving around I could safely assume there wouldn’t be any handicap people at the meeting because every single street I drove down had at least three open handicap spots.

Now as for the meeting itself, it was a tad lacking.  We heard from BPS employees and officials, local Boston cops, and neighbors about parking, vandalism, and drug issues in and around the lot.  Unfortunately, I can’t tell you a lot of what was said, not because I was sworn to secrecy or signed a confidentiality waiver, but because most people spoke without a mic and I couldn’t hear anything they said.  Seriously guys, if you go to a community meeting and there’s a mic, use it.  And if you organize a community meeting bring two mics, hearing questions without answers is even more frustrating than hearing nothing.

But I did hear a few things, or at least I thought I did, so here are a few hot takes!

The BPD can’t even.  The cops in Southie are stretched very thin, and it only makes sense that parking/general rowdiness complaints rank low on the totem pole when there actual violent crimes being committed on our streets.  So let’s get some more cops in Southie, ok?

Some weird stuff happens at Dorchester Heights.  One woman spoke of encountering needles, overdoses, cars on fire, and knocked out human teeth on her morning walks.  Obviously there’s a pyromaniac junkie fight club that meets in the Excel High School parking lot.

Registration scofflaws abound.  The Excel High School parking lot has become a safe haven for out of state plates and common sense dictates it’s time to make the lot resident parking only.  Common sense does not dictate anyone should take it upon themselves to try and make it a pay lot.
Speaking of not common sense…We heard from the self-proclaimed “infamous” 

Thomas Park resident Kate Brown, not to be confused with the unsinkable Molly Brown, she was just trying to take the initiative in solving the parking crisis.  Ok.

Parking on the boulevard.  One of the neighbors brought up parking on both sides of the boulevard, something we at Caught In Southie have been in favor of for AGES.  Come on local elected officials, like Bill Belichick would say, do your job…and get us those spots.

No one knows anything.  This was like the meeting before the meeting before the meeting.  We didn’t walk away with much, expect for the heads up about that fight club.  Speakers couldn’t really answer questions about jurisdiction or how to get some of the resolutions suggested started.  

I wish I had more for you guys, but that’s about it.  To end on a happy(ish) note, a rep from Linehan’s spoke at the end and said something about resident parking and people applauded.  I’m just not sure what he said because he didn’t have a mic.

PS Did you like the live tweet last night?  That was me on the @maureencaught handle!  You can follow me at @HotelFoxtrot for more of my tomfoolery if you’re so inclined.