Gloucester council rejects fire lanes on both sides of Rackliffe Street

The Gloucester City Council on Sept. 22 voted down a plan to make both sides of lower Rackliffe Street on Rocky Neck a fire lane, a change that would have ended on-street parking on the narrow dead-end block.

The roll call vote was 0 to 7. Councilors Jason Grow and Sean Nolan were absent.

The order would have extended the existing fire lane on the street's westerly side to both sides, from Fremont Street to the dead end. It had the backing of the Fire Department, the police and the Traffic Commission. Councilors said they respected that advice but worried about losing scarce parking on Rocky Neck and about setting a precedent for other tight streets across the city.

Why supporters wanted it

Traffic Commission Chairman Bob Ryan told the council the block is only 14 to 15 feet wide. A travel lane should be at least 10 feet wide, he said.

"This is probably the tightest street I've ever seen in all these years," said Ryan, who has served on the commission since 1980.

At Fire Chief Eric Smith's request, the Department of Public Works engineering staff ran a sweep path analysis. It found fire apparatus could not safely get down the street with cars parked on it, according to a Traffic Commission report to the council. Smith then recommended fire lanes on both sides.

Several Rackliffe Street residents spoke in favor and submitted letters. They described a recent emergency call when a fire engine could not make the turn from Fremont Street. Firefighters got out and carried equipment down the street while the driver turned around and backed the engine in. Another resident said firefighters took extra time to reach her home when her smoke alarms would not stop.

Why opponents objected

Two residents of nearby Wiley Street spoke against the change. One, who said he has lived there 30 years, said fire trucks have backed down the street for decades and that nearby Wiley and Fremont streets are just as tight.

"What's changed?" he asked. He said the neighborhood already struggles for parking and would be left with fewer spaces.

Councilors split from their own committee

The council's Ordinances and Administration Committee had recommended the change 3 to 0. On the floor, support fell away.

Councilor Scott Memhard, who filed the order on behalf of residents he has worked with for more than a decade, said he was happy to keep the one-sided fire lane. But he said a second one would create a hardship for parking in the neighborhood and set a precedent for similar streets. He said he could not personally support it.

Councilor Marjorie Grace said she believes safety comes first, but that the history mattered.

"This started out as a neighborhood dispute and it morphed into a safety issue when people did not get the results that they wanted," she said. She said a fire lieutenant at the committee's site visit told councilors crews get down narrow streets all the time.

Councilor Frank Margiotta said that if the council did it on Rackliffe Street, it would have to do the same on Wiley Street, Fremont Street and many downtown streets. He said two parking spaces on Rocky Neck are precious and raised concern about where contractors and landscapers would park.

Councilor Patti-Ann Page said many city streets are too narrow or lack turnarounds, and she suggested other parking workarounds could keep Rackliffe Street safe.

A question about resident parking

During the hearing, Ryan said the council has no power to ban parking on private ways, only to designate fire lanes. He said the city has more than 40 resident sticker parking streets, some of them private ways, and that tickets have been written on private ones. To ban parking on a private way, he said, 60 percent of residents must petition the council.

Page asked that the Traffic Commission review the private ways where parking rules are posted to see whether the city is in violation.