This matter has been forwarded to the Police Department.

Hello- I'm new to this town and didn't know this posed a problem. Believe it's a big picture Town of Stoneham problem that needs to be rectified/clarified.

A couple of notes:

1) (In line with much of what I have seen in this neighborhood) There is zero delineation between the street and the "sidewalk" (except a 5 ft long x 1 ft wide strip of dirt, which then leads to just a slope of concrete). If someone wants to call that a sidewalk, there should be a curb or a strip of grass.

2) The reason I was parking there was because if I parked on the official street (which I believe to be legal as there are no "No Parking" signs), my car would take up about 25% of the street (I thought I was helping public safety).

I called the Dept. Of Public Works and the person I spoke with didn't see an issue with it, so am not sure why Verified Official Dave Kilbride is going to send the police out.

Anyway, I am all about living in and contributing to a happy and safe neighborhood!

I will get more clarification and proceed accordingly as I also have to determine where my property ends and the "sidewalk" (used very loosely) begins.

And hopefully there will soon be a curb or even better, some more grass!

JT-

I really appreciate your feedback and immediate action you've taken about this silly issue. As a long time Stoneham resident I find it safer and better that you park off the street in front of your house. I personally don't see an issue with cars trying to stay off the road to make the narrow roads of Stoneham easier and safer to commute on.

Furthermore, I think people that are complaining about such thing as sidewalk parking and two phone poles need to step back and look at the bigger issues Stoneham needs to address and focus there energy there.

Welcome to Stoneham and thank you for being a positive person in our town. We all want a safe and happy community and if we come together with a more positive attitude we can effectively make the change.

JT Welcome to Stoneham :-) You are 100% correct regarding the every day problem about how the sidewalk parking issue has to be clarified. I'm sorry as a new resident you have to learn town laws the hard way. Maybe you wouldn't have purchased the home if you were informed up front of the problems you may have encountered. It is a smart thing you are doing by not blocking the street 25% IMO. I agree with you, street parking could cause more of a safety problem. At times the Town itself causes the problem for it's residents as some vehicles are ticketed and some are not. Why?? I'll never know. So, it causes confusion who is right or who is wrong.

The question also stands as you asked who's property is it when parking on the sidewalk or the non street area. The Towns or the Homeowner?? One would also ask who holds the liability in case something happens on that piece of property. So, the best thing to do is try to get clarification (in writing or a public notice by the town) what to do. 'cause on any given day you could be right or you could be in violation of a town law. The Town is a good community and I'm sure they will give you explicit clarification ASAP if you don't have it already have it.

Hi JT, welcome to Stoneham. Regarding the sidewalk parking, you'll definitely find mixed views. Personally, I prefer you employ the "half on, half off" method. This is what I do in front of my house when I have company (I only have a driveway to accommodate two cars). You'll find most won't complain when doing this. The sidewalk does need to remain passable. I currently have a six year old I walk/bike ride to South School (Pine St is a major route to South School by walkers and cars alike). When the sidewalk is blocked my son has veered into the street before I can stop him. Obviously not safe. Throughout town, I've have to walk in the street while pushing a stroller and walking two dogs. I prefer the vehicle sticks out some. If traffic slows down because of this, that just makes it safer. There's a lot of kids on Pine St.

I live on marble and have the same issue, myself and my neighbor were told by the police we could park that way to allow safe travel of traffic as long as we left ample room for pedestrians to walk down the sidewalk

Thank you everyone for the comments, feedback and warm welcome!

Will follow Scott's "half on, half off" approach as it seems like that is also acceptable to the police per Mike's comment. Thank you, guys.

Would like to become an active member of the community. What are the best ways to get involved to help move the city fwd? Any fdbk is greatly appreciated!

JT, the Stoneham webpage, www.Stoneham-Ma.gov, has a link right on the front for volunteering in Stoneham. There are vacancies on several volunteer boards, the farmers bather is always looking for help, coaching opportunities (if you have little ones). And since its election season, Caroline Colarusso (current Selectman) and Mike Day (current State Rep) should be knocking on your door any moment asking for your vote. They have both raised kids here and been extremely active in the community for years. They can also offer suggestions based on your interests.

*farmers market

#1 is to Attend Town Meetings. You can get to know a lot of the towns people there. Don't be afraid to let your voice be heard. You will get to hear a lot of the towns agenda's good & bad. Also, IMO the best way to move the Town forward is to Vote. It's a process that has worked for many years.