Selling parking spots in Excel High School
Really?
Have you seen the flyers? Two South Boston residents are proposing a resident parking pilot program at Excel High School (South Boston High). This program would allow for 60 parking spots be made available for $100 month for evening and weekend hours. The spaces would be basically raffled off in an annual lottery.
Currently, the Boston public schools in the neighborhood like the Perry, the Tynan and Excel High School extend the courtesy to the neighborhood to allow residents to park in the lots in the evening and weekends. Basically you can park during non-school hours. So why on earth would someone pay a public school to park there. This is a bad idea for many different reasons:
- We already pay taxes.
- What if you have a permit spot and then you see a parking spot in front of your house, you park there and then that spot in the lot is left vacant thus adding to our current parking crisis.
- What if someone is parked in my permit spot? Who do I call?
- Where is the $100 “donation” going to?
- Can people sublet the spots?
- Is the current “first come first serve” practice not working?
- This is not a proposal by The City of Boston. It’s just two residents leading the charge.
There will be a meeting on Tuesday, September 15th at Excel High School at 7pm. We would have to imagine that it will be a doozy.
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This is a terrible idea. Those of us who live in Southie, and have paid to get a resident permit, already have enough trouble parking and heavily rely on the school parking lot. I, and many others, do not have the extra money to pay for a parking spot. SAY NO TO SELLING EXCEL SCHOOL PARKING SPOTS!
The list of questions you pose is a good one and for the record I don't think this a terribly good idea because its going to be resented as it asks those with the ability to do so to purchase whats previously been free on a first come/first serve basis to all. Anything that suggests restricting parking was never going anywhere. But as you point out, free parking in these lots is currently done as a courtesy to the neighborhood on days and weekends. It doesn't have to be that way. Yes we pay taxes but frankly, the schools still have no money for clubs or proms and those extra curriculars that most agree help kids stay out of trouble, kids can't take books home to study and paper, yes paper, has to be rationed because if you run out before years end, that's it. Teachers are the ones regularly providing students paper and writing utensils out of their salaries so, while this isn't a great idea in its specifics it does touch upon the disconnect between the residents of South Boston and the Excel High and active citizenship is more than just paying taxes. Who goes to school sporting events at Moakley? Who participates in their fundraisers? Has the school tried reaching out? Answers: Not many, even fewer, and no. There's a general lack of communication/care between the school and the community – neither are wholly responsible for it but neither seem willing to change the dynamic either, except these two ladies, who I presume propose to donate the money to the school. So in summation, maybe not this idea but something should be done to turn the status quo on its head.
JOIN US
Thursday, August 20, 2015
6:30 – 8:00 pm
at
EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL
Contact Headmaster Stephanie Sibley at the EXCEL High School: 617-635-9870 or www.excelhigh.org
Kate Brown and Amy Glynn are active residents in the Neighborhood as well as members of the DHA
Headmaster Stephanie Sibley
I agree with all the points in this article, why on earth would you allow people to rent out public parking spots… this is like that program where you can sell your metered parking spot that launched a while back… further more are these two women going to get one of the spots? they wouldnt be starting this campaine if they were not interested in having a parking spot right?
if these two broads want a 100 dollar a month parking spot so badly they should move out of south boston or suck it up and pay 300 like everyone else.
Why don't they just charge a minimal fee to park each night/weekend? $2 – $5 dollars? Raise money for the school and still have spots available on a first come, first serve basis.
This is an excellent idea, and residents should be encouraged to think of other ways to provide access to parking spaces in the neighborhood for people who really need to have a car (for example, families with children, people who have to drive to work, etc.). Plus, it's a great way to raise money for the school. Thanks to Kate and Amy for making the effort.
This is a horrible idea!! I own a house on Thomas Park and am presently unable to go out in my car unless I am back before 7 o’clock. After that all street spaces have been taken and my only option is to park in the school lot. Also I do like to have an occasional visit from my family who live in Western Ma. I recently counted the cars that where actually parked in the school lot and found it was well over 100 cars and by the way only a handful had out of state plates. Imagine the chaos this will cause on weekends if all of these cars are forced to park on the street, good luck finding an open space at any time during the weekend. Unless you are going to make all of South Boston parking for residents only "including weekends" this will become a nightmare for those living on Thomas Park. Perhaps these two residents time would be better spent trying to have the ugly power lines that surround this historic park removed as they have already been throughout the rest of south Boston.
I think this is a horrible idea either cooked up by the School, which has set out to turn on its own neighborhood, or by people who feel they can (and want) to outpay their neighbors for access to public funded spaces. Living near the school is no joy, tons of noise and litter from the kids going to and fro, and impossible to move around when busses are there. The idea that the school, which has benefitted greatly from the community, would want to further tax the community, is repugnant. Not sure what is motivating "Kate" and "Amy" but it sure isnt neighborliness.
Yeah the current system works but we"re opening dialogue !!!!!!
looook at me !!!!!!
yeaaaaaaaa