Scituate Select Board Approves Lifeguard Parking Along Glades Road Seawall

Decision comes after heated debate with residents over safety concerns on narrow, one-way street near Minot Beach

SCITUATE - July 22 - The Scituate Select Board voted Monday night to approve the addition of lifeguard parking spaces along the seawall near 109 Glades Road, despite strong opposition from area residents who raised safety concerns about increased traffic on the narrow, one-way street.

The 4-1 vote, with Freya Schlegel opposed, came after nearly two hours of public comment, with the motion leaving the exact number of spaces and specific location to be determined by public safety officials, the Department of Public Works, and the recreation department.

Recreation Director Nick Lombardo said the new parking is needed because lifeguards returning from lunch breaks often find their designated spots in the main Minot Beach parking lot occupied by beachgoers.

"Our lifeguards are coming back from lunch, not having adequate parking, circling the whole entire Minot area for 15, 20 minutes, and now it's becoming a safety issue because we can't get back to the beach in a good amount of time," Lombardo said.

The proposal initially called for four lifeguard-only spaces, though board members discussed the possibility of up to eight total spaces along the seawall area.

Residents packed the meeting to voice opposition, citing safety concerns about children playing in the area and the challenges of additional traffic on the dead-end road.

"There are entire groups of kids playing football right in front of my house," said Andrea Bross, who lives on Glades Road. "There are groups of high school students being led by a teacher if they're doing photography or something. They're walking up and down the street very frequently."

Bill Graham of Tilden Ave argued the seawall area has historically served as a recreational zone for residents.

"That area next to the seawall was used as a recreational area for the children, the joggers, the babysitters will push the carriages in a safety zone all the way down to 137," Graham said. "That's a safety zone."

Multiple residents expressed concern about cars needing to make U-turns at the end of the street, creating additional safety hazards for children and pedestrians who regularly use the area.

Select Board Chair Andrew Goodrich acknowledged the safety concerns but said he trusts the assessment of public safety officials who reviewed the proposal.

"I asked our police chief, I asked our DPW, what's safe and what's not safe," Goodrich said. "There are ways to make this safe. I trust them."

Police Chief Mark Thompson said the area has adequate room for emergency vehicles to pass and noted that designated lifeguard spots would be easier to enforce through towing than the current spaces in the main parking lot.

The parking issue reflects broader challenges with beach access in Scituate. Town Administrator Jim Boudreau reported that the town now sells 8,006 resident beach stickers annually, compared to 4,400 in 2011.

Select Board member Susan Harrison said parking is the top complaint he receives from residents.

"There's probably this many people I've talked to about a problem with beach parking," Harrison said. "Parking is like the number one thing people call us about."

The town has been working to address parking shortages through multiple initiatives. The Department of Public Works recently completed renovations to the upper parking lot at Minot Beach, increasing capacity from approximately 30 spaces to 54 legal spots using painted lines and concrete barriers.

DPW Superintendent Kevin Cafferty said the department used old fire hoses donated by local fire departments to delineate parking spaces after paint striping was damaged by vehicles doing "donuts" in the lot.

Plans for the lower Minot Beach parking lot call for expanding capacity from 29 to 54 legal spots, with the project expected to go out to bid Aug. 25 and potentially be completed by late fall or early spring.

The town also raised beach parking fines to $150, though the increase requires state legislative approval that has not yet been granted.

Several residents suggested alternative solutions, including hiring high school students as parking attendants or providing golf carts for lifeguards to transport equipment.

Board members emphasized that the lifeguard parking approval is not permanent and could be reversed if problems arise.

"This is not set in stone," Goodrich said. "If this goes forward, does not go forward, if this is terribly chaotic, we're more than willing to say this is a bad idea."

The motion approved by the board states that lifeguard parking will be designated for "lifeguard-situated beach sticker parking" with the number of spaces, exact location, and signage to be determined by public safety, DPW, and recreation department officials.

Other Business:

• The board recognized firefighter Barry Shea for 25 years of service. Shea, who will retire in February, served as a senior medic and union president during his tenure.

• Plymouth County Commissioners presented the town with an additional $170,000 in federal ARPA funds for water and sewer infrastructure projects, bringing total federal funding received to more than $6.4 million.

• Town Clerk Kathleen Gardner requested changing the 2026 annual town election date from May 23 to May 30 to avoid Memorial Day weekend. The board approved the change unanimously.

Full meeting available via SCTV.