Letters: Winter Plaza proposal will push traffic and delivery trucks into surrounding neighborhoods

The following letter was sent to the Milton Select Board on January 5, 2021.

RE: Shared Street and Space Grant for Franklin Street Winter Plaza

Good afternoon Select Board,

My name is Suzanne Brown, I live at 566 Adams Street, which is the corner of Church and Adams Street. I am a little taken back that I needed to find out about this possible Grant on social media when this project will have a direct impact  on my house. I reached out to several neighbors last night upon learning of the project and none of them were aware of  it yet we are the people that it will have the most impact on. 

If you go ahead with the project, then you are pushing both the traffic and delivery trucks onto the surrounding streets.  I have attached many pictures of what I’m dealing with currently.

The area around my home is now a loading zone. I  have been at every meeting for the business around my home and have been told that the deliveries will happen during  certain hours, no trucks over 10 wheels and all deliveries will be off the street and have no impact on the neighborhood.  Closing Franklin Street will now push more truck onto Church Street. 

At times currently I have to wait 3-4 light cycles to get up Church Street to be able to pull into my driveway – if Franklin  Street is closed, the time will be greater. 

There are cars currently that go down Church Street the wrong way and will Franklin Street blocked, the cars will either  go down Granite Place and overload an already overloaded neighborhood streets or they will go down Church Street the  wrong way. Please do not tell me that it will not happen because it already does. People coming down Adams Street  from Quincy will park in the easiest spot and not wait in the traffic to circle around the square to go to Bassett Street to  use the Abbey Park parking located on Franklin Street. 

Due to the closing of parks, there has been an uptick of kids in the area with the police needing to be called many times  for groups hanging a Starbucks. Since this is going to be public space, what will stop kids from hanging around or people  hosting gatherings/get togethers because they don’t want to do it in their homes? 

I think this type of gather space should reconsider Franklin Street, instead plan on using the park over the expressway  once it is completed. 

I think the project has some merit just not on Franklin Street. 

Thank you for your time 

Suzanne Brown
Milton resident