KENNEBUNKPORT — Beachgoers can no longer stop, stand, park or load and unload their vehicles on Jeffreys Way, under a new rule the Kennebunkport Select Board approved Thursday night. The change took effect immediately.
The select board voted unanimously to amend the town’s parking regulations after a public hearing at which no residents spoke for or against the change. Board Chair Mary Beth Gilbert said the goal is to keep the area safe, noting that Jeffreys Way is reserved for emergency vehicle access and that neighbors have reported a sharp increase in drop-offs there over the past year.
Because the road is too narrow for cars to turn around, drivers who pull up to unload often end up backing back down to the intersection of Kings Highway and New Biddeford Road through crowds of arriving beachgoers, including young children.
Drivers headed to the beach may be forced to park as far up as New Biddeford Road as the BinnAcle Hill development, rather than pulling onto Jeffreys Way to drop off passengers or gear.
Gilbert acknowledged the new rule will mean breaking “many decades of habit.”
Select Board Member Jon Dykstra raised concerns about how the change would be enforced, given how accustomed people are to using the road for beach drop-offs.
Gilbert said the town will post signage and warnings, and that Community Service Officers will focus initially on educating drivers about the new rule. Community Service Officers will enforce the rule and have the authority to issue tickets; the fine amount has not yet been set, Gilbert said.
Residents near Jeffreys Way can also call town dispatch to request rapid enforcement, and dispatchers will radio officers directly.
Select Board Member Joseph Moan voiced support, calling it “a great idea.”
The board has the legal right to amend parking ordinances without a town vote. The new ordinance does allow commercial delivery vehicles to still stop temporarily on the west side of Jeffreys Way for as long as it takes to complete a delivery or pickup at a nearby residence.
