Above: I’m not expecting this much snow, just reminding of the annual Winter Parking Ban to avoid getting in the way of plow operators/salting trucks doing their jobs when needed. (Photo by Susan Fitzgerald)
If you’re in the habit of parking on the street overnight, it’s time to make new arrangements. Southborough’s annual winter parking ban is now in effect.
That means through March 15, there is no overnight (midnight to 6:00 am) parking on any public way regardless of the weather. Plus, the forecast indicates that parking on roads may not be allowed this evening or parts of tomorrow outside of those hours.
Street parking is also not allowed at any time of day or night during snow or ice events. Vehicles violating those rules could be towed at owners expense.
According to the National Weather Service, there is a chance of a little snow tonight and tomorrow morning, mixing in with the forecast rain to make streets messy. (There’s also a slight chance of snow from about 1:30 – 4:30 pm on Thursday.)
Last night, the Select Board approved the seasonal parking ban retroactive as of December 1st.*
The language was identical to past years.
It’s worth noting that the notice refers to a bylaw that allows towing of cars on the street during unusual snow/ice storms outside of the specified 3½ month period. (Which means that if there’s a freak April or October snowstorm, you’re still responsible for moving your car to allow plowing.)
The Ban states:
Effective December 1, 2024 there will be no parking on any public way in the Town of Southborough from 12 midnight until 6:00 a.m. and furthermore, there will be no parking on any public way during any snowstorm in the Town of Southborough. Vehicles parked will be towed at the owner’s expense (according to §152-6 of the Town’s Code). This Ban will be in effect from December 1, 2023 through March 15, 2024.
Illegal parking during unusual storms occurring before or after the Ban will be dealt with according to Section 152-6 of the Code of the Town of Southborough which states:
“The Superintendent of Streets, or other officer having charge of the ways, shall be authorized, for the purpose of removing or plowing snow or of removing ice from any way, to remove or cause to be removed to some convenient place, including in such term any public garage, any vehicle interfering with such work, and the liability for the cost of such removal and the storage charges, if any, resulting therefrom shall be upon the owner of such vehicle”.
*(Again, why the board keep passing this with a retroactive date each year, instead of passing it and promoting it in November is beyond me.)
