PORTSMOUTH — After hearing several Common Fence Point residents complain about visitors’ vehicles blocking mailboxes and driveways at the north end of Anthony Road, the Town Council agreed to address the problem through an ordinance change.

The council voted unanimously on June 12 to amend the town ordinance to give the Department of Public Works, in conjunction with the police and fire chiefs, the authority to post no-parking signs in areas “in which parking of a vehicle or other object would create an unduly congested or hazardous condition or would cause unusual delay to traffic.” 

When any such signs are erected, it will be illegal for anyone to park in any such designated place. Although the public hearing came about in response to Anthony Road residents’ complaints, the ordinance applies to the entire town.

Council member David Gleason, a Common Fence Point resident and trustee of the Common Fence Point Improvement Association, brought the matter to the council’s attention. He said Police Chief Brian Peters can order parked vehicles at the end of the point to be towed, but only under certain conditions — such as when they’re blocking a driveway or mailboxes, or they’re in the middle of the street. The previous ordinance also didn’t allow police to randomly ticket vehicles, he said.

Mike Zani, who lives at the end of Anthony Road, said the area is considered a cul-de-sac, but it hardly resembles one. “Parking’s tight,” Zani said, noting he often gets blocked from leaving his driveway, and that mailboxes get hit. He’s also seen ambulances and fire trucks “really struggling” to turn around at the end of Anthony Road.

Marshall Hill, of Mount View Road, which extends off Anthony Road at the very tip of Common Fence Point, agreed. “I’m getting older; I want an ambulance to make it to me if something happens,” he said.

One of the attractions of the spot for visitors — many of them from out of town — is the right of way that leads to the shoreline, a prime fishing area.

“We noticed that once COVID came, that’s when it really started to take off, where the beaches and fishing areas were closed around the state, so people were trying to find areas where they could go fish. This became an area that became very popular during COVID, and it stayed,” said Chief Peters 

Council member J. Mark Ryan made it clear the council has no intention of preventing anyone from legally accessing the shoreline. “That’s determined by geography, not our intent. Anthony Road just doesn’t accommodate that much parking,” he said, adding the town would need to be flexible to accommodate people who are visiting family.

Case-by-case basis

Other council members also cautioned they don’t want to see any over-zealous enforcement of the new rules.

“I don’t want this to be a slippery slope where we get requests to put ‘No Parking’ signs all over town,” said council member Keith Hamilton.

Council President Kevin Aguiar agreed, saying the town needs to use good judgement and evaluate everything on a case-by-case basis. “There are a number of streets in congested neighborhoods that you could make an argument you shouldn’t park on the street, and if you do that, people won’t have a place to park,” he said.

Council member Charles Levesque was originally opposed to the ordinance change, saying he didn’t like the idea of no-parking areas being authorized by anyone except the council. However, after hearing from residents and others who voiced support, he voted in favor of it.