Westfield Council Votes to Restrict Parking on Barchester Near Lawrence Ave.

WESTFIELD NJ — Westfield's town council approved parking restrictions near the end of Lawrence Avenue at its April 21 meeting, preceded by feedback from commuters.Council members voted unanimously to prevent parking on Barchester Way closer than 40 feet from the intersection of Lawrence Avenue, where residents take advantage of free public parking near the New Jersey Transit bus stop on Route 22. Prior to the vote, the council heard from nearby Orenda Circle resident AJ Cahmi, who said it was important for the council to hear from the commuters who use that area. “It’s a lifeline for a lot of us who commute into the city,” Cahmi said, adding, “I think it’s a vital component of where we live, why people chose this area off of Lawrence Avenue connecting to Route 22.”Town Administrator Jim Gildea thanked Cahmi for speaking to the council and said that the public safety committee had been studying the parking near the intersection for several years before proposing a restriction. “We were counting up to 85 to 90 cars between the three streets pre-COVID,” Gildea said, adding that the pandemic alleviated the issue for some time due to reduced commuting needs. “This is the first year we’re seeing it come back,” Gildea said.The ordinance, which pushes parking back from the corner, does not prevent people from parking in areas further up Barchester and farther away from Route 22. Camhi said that restrictions would add to an already challenging walking situation for commuters. He particularly noted the experience of commuters this winter during the heavy snows of January and February. Cahmi explained that the sidewalk along Route 22 was buried in snow for a month, forcing pedestrians to navigate the busy roadway. “We would all run because the sidewalks were not cleared,” he said. Gildea expressed empathy for the lack of snow clearing on Route 22. “Westfield’s border stops right at the second to last house on Lawrence. So the shoveling on Route 22, we kind of wish was our responsibility, but it’s not,” he said, explaining that the town has had mixed results when reaching directly out to the Department of Transportation to report issues. Cahmi also noted insufficient lighting in an area vital to commuters and one other rather grotesque obstacle.“There was a deer carcass that sat on the sidewalk for a month,” he said.