Let’s talk a bit about parking in what has been traditionally and consistently regarded as the village, until folks needed arguments to win a point or two.

Having been a Rockport resident for 39 years, I personally have never had a problem finding parking for the library.  The past seven years, I have met on average twice weekly with a group of 8 to 12 people at the library.  Never has one member of the group complained that  they could not find parking. Never.

The safety issue: There are more fender-benders and near misses of adults and children in parking lots, e.g. Hannaford Plaza.  The distance from a parked car to the door of Wal-Mart is good recommended exercise.  The walk to the Rockport Library from a parking place is a shorter and I dare say more pleasant.  

It is said, like a child reaching for whatever argument to get what s/he wants, there is only one designated parking spot at the Rockport Library.  Hello, Camden Library.  You should have expanded elsewhere.  Downtown Camden parking is … well, let the reader choose the adjective. Can you imagine the outcry if folks had wanted to expand the Camden Library to another site because of parking problems? Maybe getting rid of the Opera House in Rockport was a good idea, judging from the parking problems whenever there is a concert, a play, a memorial service, a town meeting. Parking for performances at Pascal Hall necessitates a good walk.  No complaints.

Efforts to re-vitalize the village/downtown have been somewhat effective; there is still empty commercial space on the east side of the Goose River bridge, CMCA is leaving, and there’s now an empty lot on Central Street, adjacent to the Mary Lea Park. Anyone want to invest in a parking garage there? 

Paul G. Charbonneau lives in Rockport.