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Citizen complaint of the day: That stupid jag on Washington Street in front of the Harvest

Washington Street just south of Forest Hills

A concerned citizen complains about the way those extra parking spaces were added to Washington Street south of Forest Hills, creating a sudden swerve on an otherwise straight road:

Truck parked completely blocking bike lane because the parking spots along the side of the road are still there. Please get rid of the parking on the street in front of the harvest co-op. It is not necessary as there is a large parking lot. You are jeopardizing bicyclists lives every single day. Please make sure the mayor and Commissioner gilooly see this.

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Comments

My annoyance has not risen to the level of making an official complaint, but if someone hangs around the square with a clipboard petitioning getting rid of these spaces, you will find out my real name real quick.

I have nothing against cars or parking or people taking their cars to shop. I am just home from doing that. What I have a problem with is that this building was built in a place where there has never (okay, since the rebuild of the streets in the 80s) been parking, at least on that side of the street. How the developers didn't notice that and plan accordingly blows my mind. Then, Harvest Co-Op, who you would think would attract those "save the planet" types, comes in as the main commercial tenant and boom, they somehow need those 3 spaces on the street. It's called transit oriented development people- use the T! You even have a parking lot that's never full.

So, they screw up the roadway for the sake of 3 spaces, make in unsafe for bicyclists (not to our 2 wheeled friends, I always do the odd curve, just because), and at the end of all this, truck unload. Which brings me back to the hypocrisy- either the developer, who courted a supermarket as a tenant, didn't include a loading dock or Harvest Co-Op is being a horrible corporate citizen by tolerating delivery trucks that are too lazy to pull up to the dock.

However Menino allowed this is beyond me. Someone kissed up real good. Make it right Marty!

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Despite the fact that it's supposed to be a "transit oriented" development (former T-owned property and part of their transit-oriented program), it has *two* large parking lots. But that wasn't good enough. The developer/owner demanded yet more parking. The city ground the old bike lane markings down, and then repainted them for a couple of parking spaces.

Worse, the sight lines are such that if you're coming around one of those parked cars, drivers coming out of the lower parking lot can't see you until you're a few car lengths away.

Car is no longer king, indeed.

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There are several community related businesses in there, and parking is needed for them. Washington st is a single lane of travel anyways, so what does the parking hurt? Yes, it's not like it was before, but neighborhoods change and people need to adapt. Should the lots have remained empty? There are several community based non profits in both buildings. Also the market, bank and cafe add some life to that desolate stretch of Washington st.

Like it or not, for things like grocery shopping, cars are needed. We can't all ride our bikes everywhere.

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So, the land owner brought in an architect, who drew up plans for the lot, including parking needs based on occupancy, yet designed the parking 3 spaces short? Because of this oversight, both bicycles and cars are put in danger due to a horrible configuration of the road. Moreover, there's parking across the street.

Sorry, I like tat there's been development. The new tenants, for the most part, seem like good groups, but this whole on street parking grab- after the building was completed and occupied, it should be notes- is bullshit.

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That's the reality. Work your dreams to fit reality.

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That is the reality.

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I am not familiar with this Washington street store, but very familiar with the area. If this is the same store chain that invented a store on South street just after St. Thomas Aquinas , I remember when it was hatched , they had a loading zone the size of a car , couldn't fit a trailer in it, unreasonable. If they ever properly sized and allocated curbage for loading , there would be no room for parking , in the City of Boston.

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Oh, I've complained about this many times. I know several other people who have complained about this too. There's already been a car collision because of this jog. City NEVER should have agreed to this. Owner has offstreet parking AND a loading dock there's absolutely no reason why anyone should need to park there.

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Who is the owner? For public shaming purposes off course.

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...same company that owns every other square inch of commercial space in JP, except for those two a-hole brothers who own everything on Centre Street.

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Why should the owner of an abutting property be able to dictate greatest use for the publicly owned street? When that jag was put in, I assumed it was construction related and temporary. Instead, it remains, as a big middle finger pointed at anybody who bikes through the neighborhood, and quite a few Harvest customers I'd think.

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Maybe because the owner abuts the property? Are you some sort of atomistic individualist Randian libertarian?

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So, you are saying I can go dig up 600 square feet of it for my private purposes just because it is next to the house?

I don't think the cemetery people would be pleased by my vegetable garden there. Or if I built a tiny house for each of my teens.

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You'd already have great fertilizer built in right there for that garden!

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Are you asserting squatters' rights in the street for abutting owners? That's going to be a tough sell.

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I agree with other commenters here, this is now a very dangerous little stretch of roadway. It's dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and bikers alike!

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They just don't work. Bike traffic and car traffic are two different beasts.

Cars have traffic laws that are generally obeyed, and if not, enforced.

Bicyclists have laws that are generally not obeyed, not enforced, and confusing to those that share the road.

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Cars have traffic laws that are generally obeyed, and if not, enforced.

I'm having a hard time believing that you are in the Boston area. Very funny.

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