Citing the narrowness of the street, the Biddeford City Council voted to prohibit parking on the even-numbered side of Lemieux Street at a recent meeting. In another area of the city, they voted to prohibit passage of trucks 5 tons and over on Round Hill Street. Tammy Wells Photo
BIDDEFORD — Drivers of trucks of five tons and over are prohibited from driving through Round Hill Street. Biddeford City Council voted on the measure Feb. 15.
As well, motorists are prohibited from parking on the even-number side of Lemieux Street, which is off Route 1.
According to a memo prepared by Police Chief Roger Beaupre, large commercial vehicles use Round Hill Street as an access to and from businesses that border the street but have an Elm Street address.
“Round Hill Street is a residential street that runs easterly and westerly between May Street and Dartmouth Street, is less than twenty feet in width, and has an approximate 20-degree curve near the intersection with Harvard Street,” wrote Beaupre, who pointed out the sight distance is poor in the area.
“Large commercial vehicles such as 18-wheel tractor trailers should not be using this street as a cut through,” Beaupre wrote.
The street was temporarily marked to prohibit five tons and over pending the council action.
There was discussion on prohibiting parking on the even numbered side of Lemieux Street, which is 342 feet long, and runs between Rathier Street and Forest Street. It is 22 feet wide and runs parallel to Elm Street (Route 1).
Beaupre noted in a memo that a typical parking stall requires between 7 and 8 feet of road width, and that two-sided parking would require between 14 and 16 feet of road width. At 22 feet wide, vehicles parked opposite to each other on Lemieux Street would not allow for free passage of (other) vehicles
Councilor Amy Clearwater said she was concerned about how the council was approaching the matter. “I don’t enjoy seeing us make policy piecemeal in this way,” she said. “I don’t think this is the only street like this. There are a lot of streets in Biddeford narrower than they ought to be for how much parking we allow on them. I think it behooves us to take a broader approach, rather than someone complains, and we put out one fire right now … just because one person complained, I don’t feel comfortable eliminating everybody else’s parking.”
Council President Norman Belanger said he agreed with Clearwater but pointed out not all narrow streets have a parking problem.
“Here we have a situation, we know it’s narrow, not safe and causing problems,” he said. “Other similar streets may not be a problem.”
Clearwater noted the street is one block and if a fire truck could not get through it could get around rapidly.
Councilor Martin Grohman said he had mixed feelings. “I didn’t witness any abuse of the on-street parking when I was there,” he said.
Councilor Liam LaFountain said he said has been told the problem is most pronounced in the spring when lawn care services park there.
In the end, the vote to ban parking on the even numbered side of Lemieux Street was 5-4, with Mayor Alan Casavant breaking the tie. Councilor Doris Ortiz was absent.
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