Public documents suggest solution to problematic School Street parking lot

To the editor:

I have sent the following letter to the Great Barrington Selectboard regarding the School Street parking lot.

Greetings to the Selectboard:

The School Street parking lot controversy is a difficult issue, and I appreciate your work and the time you’ve devoted, as always.

I am opposed to granting this permit for the following reasons, the first three of which are each derived from public documents that exist to guide us at times like this.

1. Our Town’s Design Guidelines (p. 24) document comments on just this situation: “Parking lots should be kept to the minimum size and capacity necessary. Off-street parking provided on a site should only serve the specific uses on the site or specific uses on lots immediately adjacent to the site.” The School Street lot is not adjacent to the Berkshire Block site.
2. To respond to the argument that “we need parking downt-wn”: Placing a parking lot in the center of this popular and potentially well trafficked area off of Bridge Street forces the town to pay an opportunity cost– see how this concept is explained in our Town’s Master Plan (p. 122): “Great Barrington’s parking is primarily behind buildings, off of Main Street. To the extent new parking lots can be found, this pattern should be replicated. The same is true for Housatonic village. Locating parking lots directly on the main thoroughfare not only disrupts the historic architectural patterns and the pleasant pedestrian environment, it also yields little direct economic value. Parking lots do not sell goods, employ people, or house people. Parking lots do not belong on main streets, particularly in compact, historic downtowns like Great Barrington where land is limited, valuable, and character is of utmost importance.”
3. To respond to the argument that Philips needs more parking for its tenants, no they don’t. With 1 plus space per office unit, they have more than enough now in the old Foster’s lot. But besides this point, note that the Berkshire Block building is located in the Village Center Overlay District where zoning law does not require building owners to provide ANY parking.Why? Because requiring parking here would place emphasis on cars and convenience, rather than on an economically/socially advantageous development like housing or mixed use.
4. To respond to the argument that we have to approve this special permit request or else we might lose all the parking in the Foster’s lot: No, we will not. Together, Philips and Levin have about 87 spaces on the “Foster’s” lot. Even if the 42 owned by Philips are “closed” evenings and weekends, that leaves 45 still open.
5. We all should take note that the Planning Board voted on April 24 to examine soon how to make redevelopment of the smaller lots in this district financially viable for developers. Lessening requirements for both open space and lot area per dwelling unit would be the acknowledged next step, and thus, more options will be available soon for the development of this School Street site.

Jennifer Clark

Great Barrington