Mother Wants Overnight Truck Parking Ban-July 8, 1981

On July 08, 1981, Kathleen W. Mallet of 147 Ridgewood Drive announced her intention to seek the support of the Board of Selectmen for a new bylaw. Mrs. Mallet has been particularly concerned with a large dump truck frequently parked in front of a neighbor’s home on her street. She argues that heavy commercial vehicles parked on residential roads present a significant hazard, suggesting that curious children—such as her own six-year-old son, Matthew—might climb on them or cross the street near them, hidden from the view of passing motorists. She further expressed fears regarding mechanical failure, noting that if an emergency brake were to fail, the heavy vehicles could roll, endangering residents.

The resident in question, Gustav DiMartino of 152 Ridgewood Drive, who operates a construction equipment rental business, expressed his firm opposition to the proposed ordinance. Mr. DiMartino maintained that his vehicle is safely secured with emergency brakes and wheel wedges and emphasized that the width of the street—approximately 50 feet—provides more than enough space for traffic to navigate around it. He further noted that a parking ban would create an undue hardship for himself and at least ten other truck owners he knows, who occasionally utilize street parking when they must depart for construction sites early in the morning. Mr. DiMartino explained that he typically keeps his vehicles in a locked facility off Route 1, but that the site’s gate does not open until 7:30 a.m., making it impossible for him to access the truck when his work schedule demands an earlier start.

The regulatory path for the proposal remains unclear. While Mrs. Mallet had previously contacted the Planning Board regarding her concerns, Selectmen Chairman E. William Bamber clarified that the board only holds jurisdiction over property lines, not public street parking. Consequently, the matter was referred back to the Board of Selectmen, with Chairman John F. Kinnaly stating the board would wait to hear a formal presentation from Mrs. Mallet before deciding whether to support an ordinance, which would ultimately require Town Meeting approval.

In other municipal news, a special committee has been reinstated to oversee the town hall tower carillon, a gift of 50 bells donated to the town by banker Walter F. Tilton in 1927. Though the committee had been dormant for two decades, Town Moderator Robert C. Capasso recently moved to revive it, appointing Selectmen Chairman John F. Kinnaly, Finance Commission Chairman Peter Bamber, and Town Manager John J. Carroll to the body to ensure the conditions of the original gift are fulfilled. The carillon, valued at $50,000 at the time of the donation, has been out of commission for approximately four years and is in need of structural repairs. Chairman Kinnaly, while serving as chairman pro-tem, suggested he would prefer that citizens with a deeper personal interest in the bells be appointed to the committee in the long term. Finally, the Personnel Advisory Board recommended a $3,000 salary increase for Town Clerk and Accountant Robert M. Thornton, which would raise his annual compensation from $28,940 to $31,900, pending final approval from the selectmen.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger