LETTER: Resident Upset About Sudden Parking Ticket Spree Near Watertown Square

Editor,

I own a condo near Watertown Square and I and my neighbors have recently noticed tickets appearing seemingly randomly on cars during the day.

I searched "parking" on the Watertown city website and noted that the city seems to have quietly instituted a 2-hour limit on parking ANYWHERE in town during the day. [Editors Note: Watertown has had a 2-Hour Limit on all streets for many years.]

This imposes a MAJOR hardship on anyone who doesn't drive to work and must leave their vehicle parked outside their houses; in our instance, we have a tandem driveway which does not allow for all people in the house (4 units, 5 cars) to be parked without someone always being blocked in.

When did this regulation move from commercial areas to residential ones? This seems to just be a money-grubbing ploy. Why not institute resident stickers if they want to raise extra revenue?

I am upset about this and it is another nail in the coffin for me of likely leaving Watertown as it becomes less and less desirable. (The , lack of any town center, , and now this?!)

Please bring some attention to this matter as it deserves. It is unfair to those of us who cannot afford multi-car garages or parking downtown every day. It's essentially a punishment for the audacity of having to work for a living. Shame on the city.

Desiree Pappenheimer
Watertown Square Resident