I am not sure where to post this gripe but I will start here. I was desperately trying to find a parking space downtown so I could shop locally. I rode around several times. I am just wondering why the YMCA lot is always empty but you constantly see Y members parking in back of the Starbucks area. Does the Y charge extra to park in the area they own? I know we can't force patrons to park there but you can be sure it would free up much needed space for downtown parking.

Parking in Melrose is a big problem, but not because people using the Y aren't always parking in the Y lot. And, the Y lot is almost never empty. You may have hit it at a time between classes or when all classes are over. Anyway, people using the Y should be able to park anywhere they want to park. Perhaps, they work out at the Y, then go to Starbucks or to Shaws, or to another local business. The problem is Melrose is over built and poorly planned. When the area around Shaw's was redone, we actually lost several spots on Main St for the ridiculous bump outs.

Same thing happened over in the Highlands business district. Narrowing the streets and bumpouts at strategically dangerous locations has caused a large number of doors and sideview mirrors being torn off by passing vehicles, including a city DPW truck. It is only a matter of time before a person exiting or entering their vehicle on Franklin Street is killed. Major complaints being vocalized about these hazards and insufficient parking post-design but Dolan says all is good![:-|]

I agree and yes, you are correct "Major complaints being vocalized about these hazards and insufficient parking post-design but Dolan says all is good!"

What can be done now to rectify any of this?

The Highlands project is a success. Speeds have been slowed and there is a much safer pedestrian environment. Businesses are thriving and people actually want to go there now. It used to be a death trap to try to cross the street. The idea was to save lives, not protect side view mirrors from reckless drivers.

I will say that the Essex St project has the worst signage and marking job I have ever seen. Almost every parking sign conflicts with the parking boxes.

The idea that Downtown is overbuilt (with all of its 1-2 story buildings) made me laugh out loud. There is ALWAYS open parking if you're willing to walk a bit (City Hall or behind Hugo's). I believe the City's parking study a few years back proved this.

Just heard about another accident: Passing car ripping off door of parked car. Too late now, damage done. Parking and dangerous parking issues on Franklin still causing concern for business owners and customers. So sad. Dolan should have listened to the people who know:( the Highlands residents and business owners) before slamming the ill-conceived Franklin Highlands business district boondoggle down their throats. Time for a new mayor who actually listens to the citizens and does what works for them; not the fictional Somerville yuppies he is trying to attract to the city. This is not Somerville and never will be, hopefully...

They screwed up in the highlands and on essex st. Now they're lowering the speed limit to compensate. It won't help. There will be more congestion and more accidents which didn't happen before they screwed it up.

Denise G. and Erin (Mrs. Zwirko whose husband Mike bought her the job by acting as Dolan's spy on the BOA) from the Planning Office led this project. The consultant planner (Indian woman running for Alderman at Large) is another in the pocket mouthpiece for the administration. She heads the Mastrer Plan effort which is being debated now. All the MEF mommies and Sanctuary group will push for her election!

Downtown Melrose is the envy of every community on the North shore. The thriving business district makes it tough to find a parking spot and the whiners complain. It's like hitting the lottery and complaining about the taxes. 20 years ago downtown was in crisis, and it was easy to find a spot because no one wanted to be there. Planning department and Dolan adminsitration have worked with business and property owners in Melrose to revitalize the area and should be commended for it.

Is that a joke? Who told you that, Linda O? Was that before or after she told you how wonderful the schools were?

City of Melrose Schools and administration receive a F for failure of complying with the needs of the system and violating many IEP's students.

That is not an accident, it is a crash caused by poor judgement by the person exiting their car. Who the hell whips a door open when a car is coming down the street? Have some responsibility for your actions. These are standard lane widths. There is nothing special about this.

The Yes - it is ALWAYS the fault of the dimwit who opens his or her door into traffic. "No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic, unless the door may be opened in reasonable safety without interfering with the movement of other traffic." 211 CMR 74.00

The No - the area is much more difficult to negotiate than it used to be, especially when trying to enter Franklin from Greenwood.

CVS police enforcement in the parking lot!!! Bad enough you cant park anywhere and now this waste of taxes dollars.

Ummm...Newburyport, Rockport, Gloucester, Hamilton, Lexington, Winchester, Concord, even Reading and Salem- just off the top of my head- none of them envy downtown Melrose. Just another snobby resident who thinks Melrose is what it ain't.

Chelsea with trees[8-)]

Posted by Melrose's own version of Kellyanne Conway - an outright lie put forth as fact. It's not a fact - it's absolute bull$hit. The crap coming out of City Hall and from the Doughboy's a$$kissers is a pack of lies swallowed hook, line, and sinker by a shocking number of Melrose residents, and sounds exactly like the complete and utter bull**** being spewed by the orange oragutang in Washington.

For example, Doughbuy constantly spews his lies about how wonderful the Melrose schools are, but what does he do? He enters his offspring into the Mystic Valley lottery - the same Mystic Valley he has spent the last ten years excoriating. That should have been on the front page of the local rags set in four inch type, because it's a perfect example of what duplicitous lying scumbags he and his minions are.

But you know what? That's not even the most disturbing part. What is truly disturbing is that so many Melrosians are stupid enough to buy into it. I saw a glimmer of hope when his idiotic override went down in flames, and I hope I see more of that when his equally idiotic library proposal is addressed.

Chelsea with trees. Almost right - it's actually Everett with trees. I'm at the point now where I actually hope his fake real estate bubble collapses, so I can watch all these idiots who bought into it go upside down with their hyper-inflated mortgages.

Get this straight - Dolan does not care about you. Dolan cares about Dolan.

That's all Melrose has is downtown cause the school and their staff suck.

Downtown Melrose the envy of the Northshore? That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. The streets roll up at 10 PM....on weekends!! Average at best Restaurants. Please don't make me laugh. Melrose Downtown is not a destination.

It's a destination for me. 10:00 is like 1:00 am to most people.My mother told
me "nothing good happens after 10:00 pm"