[September 01, 2011] Parking at Winnekenni a problem Tweet Sep 01, 2011 (The Haverhill Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Called a "hidden jewel" and the "best kept secret" in the city, Winnekenni Castle and park have been attracting more people for community events and recreation activities. Unfortunately, finding a safe and legal parking space at the park is another one of the city's best kept secrets. Councilor David Hall, Winnekenni Foundation members and city volunteers said action must be taken to keep cars from illegally parking along Route 110, just off the grounds of Winnekenni Park. They said the city must also improve parking spaces in the park, which he said are of poor quality and a hazard. While the road into the park is paved, Hall said parking spaces near the park's playground and several of the dirt parking lots in the park are eroding, resulting in cars sometimes getting stuck. "It's all eroded there," Hall said. "The cars are bottoming out." The park is used by everyone from hikers to teams of cross country runners to parents taking children to the playground. The castle on the hill above the park is a popular setting for social events such as weddings and civic club celebrations. During a recent council meeting, Hall presented a photocopy of a proposed parking improvement plan for the park drawn up by city engineers in the late 1990s. The plan calls for creating a paved lot near the entrance to the park, which would add about 25 spaces. Winnekenni Foundation President Grace Marcoux says the park can support about 50 legally parked cars. Cars spill over onto Route 110 primarily during high school cross country meets, she said. "It's a safety concern," she said. Thomas Sullivan, Winnekenni Foundation vice president, said people are tempted to park along Route 110 because it is a wide road. "People don't really know they're violating the law," he said. "That's just been the tradition." Hall suggested the city could save some money by creating a parking lot out of gravel. "We can bring our own equipment in there and do it for almost no money," he said. Hall became aware of the plan when following a discussion with Sullivan earlier this month. Sullivan had received the plan from Brightside volunteer David Labrode several years ago. Labrode, who has cared for the lawns of the park for at least 10 years, said he first became aware of the plan in 1999 following a discussion with a Highway Department official. The official showed Labrode a copy of the plan and said city had no plans to act on it at the time. "It was blueprinted out and everything," Labrode said. "For some reason, it was never implemented." Though the upper green space and Winnekenni Castle are maintained by the Winnekenni Foundation and their private custodian, the lower park is city-owned property. Marcoux said she sent an e-mail the mayor's office on the topic two years ago but didn't continue discussions beyond that point. "The ball's got to get rolling somewhere," she said. "We'd love to be improving the park as a whole." Sullivan, who called the park a "hidden jewel," said the park has proven to be a popular tourist destination and should be an asset the city improves. "I've seen license plates from all over the country," he said. ___ (c)2011 The Haverhill Gazette (Haverhill, Mass.) Visit The Haverhill Gazette (Haverhill, Mass.) at www.hgazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]