UPDATED: Blaney Street Pier update

UPDATE 2/22/2011: The snooze has finally caught up with what we were reporting last week. Comment away.

The Blaney Street Pier has been being used as snow overflow parking basically all winter. Drive down there any given evening and you will find between 30 and 50 cars parked there overnight, thanks to the city forgetting their "curb to curb" plowing pledge.

Unfortunately, this is about to change. I received the following notice:

_________

Salem Wharf Construction To Begin


The City is pleased to announce that the Salem Wharf Construction project is about to begin. However, the City regrets that it is no longer able to provide resident parking at the Blaney St. lot. Monday, February 21st is the last day that parking will be available at the Blaney St. lot.

Beginning Tuesday February 22nd, contractor Hugo Keys & Son will erect a construction fence to secure the site and will begin preliminary work including snow clearance, site clearance and installation of sediment controls.

Full construction activity will begin the week of February 28th and is expected to be finished by June 2011. Work to be completed during this phase includes installation of utilities, seawall construction, final grading, pavement and striping.

We regret any inconvenience and appreciate your patience while we undertake this important improvement.

____________

So now, the cars that have voluntarily parked there, rather than clogging the narrow, one-way streets of the neighborhood, will be forced back out onto those streets. God help us if there is another snow emergency. This lot has been full for most of them this year, and I believe that Salem Patch reported the Museum Place garage was full by about 9 A.M. during the last one. I'm not sure why, with the weather we've had, they didn't decide to push this back a month. I predict many, many broken mirrors in the weeks to come.

UPDATE: Apparently residents of this neighborhood can park for free overnight at the South Harbor garage. Of course, they'll be charged if they aren't out by 7AM. Good luck everyone.