Neighborhood group urges a resident‑only pilot instead of wholesale paving

Chris, representing the Biddeford Pool Improvement Association, told the council the community has conducted counts and engaged an engineer to gather data. He summarized: "There are approximately 400 parking spaces available to the public in Biddeford Pool between Big Beach, Middle Beach, in town, along the side streets, and especially along Lester B." BPIA argued that the proposed 45–52 new spaces are unnecessary and would alter the street's character and potentially increase traffic to sensitive areas.

BPIA proposed a pilot approach: designate roughly 15 existing Lester B. spaces for Biddeford residents, enforce with a resident sticker or beach pass, add signage and a map identifying overflow parking, and reassess after a year or two. The group said its contracted engineer will produce parking and traffic counts to help determine whether more permanent changes are needed. Councilors asked about enforcement capacity and acknowledged the pilot idea but flagged practical concerns about policing resident‑only spots given current staffing levels.