Linsky Presents Parking Garge Options to Natick

Natick - The state’s offer to build a new garage for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuters in Natick has some hoping that it will be built in addition to a municipal garage the town has planned for Middlesex Avenue.

Earlier this week, state legislators told selectmen they would have to decide "fairly quickly" — meaning within the next month and a half — whether and where they want the state to build a commuter rail parking garage in Natick.

Some town officials and business interests are interested in building a garage for downtown businesses and their patrons first, and want to make sure the commuter garage does not interfere with those plans.

The state executive Office of Transportation recently sent the town a proposal with four commuter garage locations to choose from:

· A three-level, 494-car garage built over the existing 163-car West Natick commuter rail station surface parking lot, with an estimated cost of $11.2 million;

· A four-level, 430-car garage built over the tracks on the block bounded by South Avenue, Washington Street and North Avenue, west of the industrial property along North Avenue, with an estimated cost of $14.9 million;

· A four-level, 429-car garage built over the tracks between Main Street and Spring Street, including the commercial properties along Middlesex Avenue west of Main Street, with an estimated cost of $14.7 million;

· A seven-level, 507-car garage — with 80 spaces dedicated to the town’s purposes — built over the 80-some space lot the town created after it knocked down the Middlesex Avenue garage, with an estimated cost of $12.9 million.

According to the state's proposal, Natick has demand for commuter parking spaces. Natick will need at least 250 spaces for commuters by 2010 and up to 450 spaces by 2025, it says. For MBTA commuters, the town currently has 72 spaces in a town-owned lot at the corner of South Avenue and Mulligan Street and 41 spaces between Mulligan and Hayes Street leased from St. Patrick's Church, the proposal says. It also has the existing 163 spaces in West Natick.

Depending on which option town officials opt for, if any, a new commuter garage may or may not provide access for disabled people at the Natick Center MBTA station. Town officials have requested such access at the station for some time.

The West Natick station garage would continue to provide access for people with disabilities at that station, but would not address access at the Natick Center station. The two garages built over the tracks would bring access for the disabled to the Natick Center station. The Middlesex Avenue location would not provide access for the disabled at the Natick Center station.

Town Administrator Martha White said "more than five" developers are looking over a request for proposals selectmen issued for the Middlesex Garage property, which would have "at least 330" public parking spaces for local businesses and residents. The lease agreement, already approved by the Legislature, would also allow the developer to build apartments and retail space into the project.

White said the town was interested in parking spaces for downtown businesses and wouldn't consider an MBTA lot at the Middlesex Garage site before hearing back from all possible bidders for the town's project. Proposals from bidders are due near the end of January.

Artie Fair, who heads the business association Natick Center Associates, said a lack of downtown parking for businesses and their patrons is behind some vacancies in Natick Center.

"We desperately need parking for the downtown businesses and the patrons here," Fair said. "Our priority is parking for the downtown businesses and the patrons of downtown, it has to be…. We have to solve the downtown parking problem first."

Fair said that the town could "coexist" with a second garage for commuters. He added that "a modern train station" could help the economy of Natick Center.

The town’s Community Development Director Patrick Reffett said a downtown MBTA garage may bring too much traffic to Natick Center, however.

"We need to deal with our own economic development parameters with respect to parking downtown," Reffett said. "The West Natick station is a location that has some real merit. It would not create the commuter traffic issues downtown."

Saying his take on the issue required further study, Reffett added that a West Natick station garage could better accommodate regional traffic, which would certainly increase with more parking options available near a train station that heads to Boston.

The MBTA could not be reached to comment about which station it would prefer to build. At press time, it was also unclear whether the town could negotiate with the MBTA to build a West Natick station and update the Natick Center station to make it accessible for the disabled.

What is clear is that the garage option is on the table now, and Natick selectmen will have ultimate say whether they want a commuter garage for the town.

"The reality is that the MBTA is going to build several parking garages in the next few years," state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, told selectmen and School Committee members at a joint meeting Monday. "They're not promising one for Natick, but are hoping for consensus from the town on whether it wants it and where. The Executive Office of Transportation wants to know rather quickly."

During the meeting, Linsky made clear that the state would not build a lot for anyone other than rail commuters, but that the MBTA would build at least 1,000 spaces in four garages in eastern Massachusetts and Natick has a chance to claim one. Other improvements to the transit stations may be included in the proposal, he said.

"The MBTA is not going to build a garage for downtown businesses or for residents," he said. "Their focus is on commuters. That's the business they're in."

"The town needs to speak," he added later.

Selectmen asked Linsky to bring Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials to a future meeting to answer questions and Linsky said he would make it happen.