This is an occasional minor irritation. There are much more important things to have the Selectmen and Town Manager focus on. Don't do anything for now.

I agree, how about we focus on cutting costs in town. The task is easy if you actually have the guts to do it

Stop spending $, as a resident I was told our dedicated teachers were not receiving their step increase because our finances didn't allow it but everything I have seen since seems pretty inconsistent with a town as close to the red as I was led to believe we were/are. Feeling pretty lied to...

Agree with the others, Westford has bigger problems right now, particularly of a financial nature. Spending money to ameliorate what is an occasional irritation should not be a priority. The parking isn't really a big deal on a regular basis, except for the weekly farmer's market...THAT could be moved elsewhere. Having to hike in a fair distance to attend the occasional festival is not a problem worth throwing time and money at right now.

I don't think the town should spend time and money on anything except how NOT to spend any time or money on anything. I hate Farmers Markets, Festivals, Libraries, Recycling, Bike Trails, Teachers, Churches....really, anything that helps build a healthy community. I think as many businesses, of all kinds, should come to Westford and put whatever signs they like up. The bigger the better.

Not a big issue for me. I rarely go to the Center, but if I do, I can usually find somewhere to park without much issue.

Really? I understand that local neighbors are getting headaches because of parking overflow on certain days or during discreet events but is this really a priority for the town now??? Guess what..? We CAN'T have everything! (sorry kids) Westford needs to made more thoughtful (and sometimes painful) decisions about accommodating it's grown. I would like to see the powers that be PRIORITIZE better the decisions that need to be contemplated.

Based on another article here on Patch parking along the rail trail seems to be another area of focus. Perfect examples of wasted time and money.

The only place Westford leadership seems to have said NO to was its teachers in honoring their previously negotiated step increases... Everywhere else its been spend spend spend. No wonder so many teachers are looking for better paying jobs elsewhere, Brother!

CUT COSTS! Lets start with the Assistant Town Manager. No offense to the guy but why is this even a position in town? There is so much waste in every department we can easily pare down and regain a foothold on our budget. Alas getting governments to go backwards in spending is nearly impossible.

My opinion is a bit contrary to the rest - I think it's rare to have an option to buy a parcel right in the town center, so it's worth exploring that purchase option even in tight budgetary times, to avoid a more expensive solution down the road. The town center is the heart of our community, and anytime we have an event, cars park alongside the narrow roads for miles in every direction. Our town common is a major draw for living in Westford, and parking has been an issue I've heard complaints about for over 30 years. Lets explore wetlands restrictions and identify an acceptable way to add more parking, to go along with the heavy growth of population Westford has seen.

I agree with tightening budgets and looking at every line item expense to trim areas of spending that aren't needed, but that's a separate item in my opinion.

I'm tired of trying to go to the library, or to visit the Town Hall for my business filings, only to find there are no legal spaces to park.

It's a shame that local residents have to open up their yards and offer parking on their lawn during town events, because we can't provide appropriate parking. Lets keep Westford the nice town I grew up in, along with many of you -- by making appropriate infrastructure improvements where needed (instead of reacting too late when it costs 10x more).

Move the Farmer's Market (the worst offender in my opinion) to the Abbot Field.

Man, sounds like Tuesday's BOS meeting is going to be interesting...

I noticed the other day it will now cost me 25 cents to pay my taxes on line. No it's not a lot of money but I would think it would be cheaper for the town to collect revenues that way as opposed to a human opening up the mail or taking a check at the counter. Counter intuitive like many government actions or perhaps job preservation. One would think they'd be pushing ach

I literally NEVER have issues finding parking in the center of town. I frequent the library and farmer's market. Yes, sometimes it's crowded, but it does not warrant the town's money and time addressing parking plans. Patience and tolerance needs to be exercised by Westford residents and as well as town center residents (who chose to live there in the first place).

This is a really horrible issue. If the town is going to hold so many events, THEY NEED TO GET MORE PARKING! During the strawberry festival, my brother and mom both received a 25 dollar ticket. They were both parked on Connell Drive. My brother wasn't parking in a parking space, so that was reasonable. My mom was parked behind a truck with a trailer, and that truck's trailer had jutted out just a little onto her parking spot (she was in a marked space), so she therefore had to park far enough back into the space so she wouldn't hit that truck. Her back end therefore jutted out a little but of her space. She still received a 25 dollar parking ticket for not being in a marked space, yet the truck in front of her didn't! It seems like Westford Police have nothing better to do than to do silly ticketing like this just to make money for the town. My mom didn't want to repeal it just because it isn't worth the 25 dollars and her time. She then sent in both checks to the Town Hall on time, yet a couple days later, she received two letters about how her checks were late, when they were actually handed in on time. There were two 5 dollar late charges. Again, the Town seems to have nothing better to do but to cheat us into paying them! And mind you, there were so many more cars on Connell Drive being ticketed (because of the lack of space to park). If the town is going to hold all these events, they need to provide adequate parking instead of ticketing people for the sake of ticketing!

I think that they need to, if anything, add more spaces on Connell Drive, if not expand the parking lot behind the library. Again, if the town is going to hold these events, it also needs to provide enough parking. I hate to say pave over the wetlands, because it goes agains Big Yellow Taxi! "They pave paradise, and put up a parking lot." The town needs to figure something out. They were chosen to make these decisions, so they need to show us that they are worthy f their positions. Honestly, I do think the best solution would be to expand the parking lot behind the Library, even if that means subtracting some nature. Although, there has been a problem with "rare turtles" in the wetlands. It prevented a neighbor of mine from building their house.

Connell drive is not a parking lot. Families live there and have children that play on the street.

I agree that our BoS needs a serious reality check when it comes to prioritizing and saving the town money.

STOP wasting money on legal opinions that are tilting at windmills.
STOP dumping money into the bottomless pit at EBC.
START bringing class sizes within SC guidelines, drop some Central Office admin. Consolidate van routes, one van for 2 students is wasteful.
START making some painful cuts without taxing and feeing us to death because you don't have the cojones to really delve into a long-term solution.

One thing teachers and increasingly residents seem to agree on-time has come for a SC change in personnel.

I agree move the farmers market to a better location. There is no reason to have it on the common. In my opinion the Common is dangerous place to have functions. It is surrounded by very busy roads on all sides. People flying around the corner to get 495 and 110.

Make the common a round about to make the traffic flow Better. This town is fighting to keep its "small town" feel but seems to keep building strip malls everywhere?

DO NOT WORRY: The town of Westford will not have a parking problem soon, if the proposed, unconstitutional gun ban is approved. Since 32% of American households own guns, we will pack up and move out of this town. We will take our cars, bank accounts and shopping to any of the nearby cities that believe in the Constitution of America and you'll get the parking spots back that you so desperately seem to need.