Parking at Coach Road Apartments in Upton is tough, so tough that someone felt they needed to save a parking spot with a walker…. a walker!
There are two issues with the parking at Coach Road. The first is the there isn’t a parking spot for every apartment which means the Housing Authority can only accept a limited number of tenants with cars. The second issue, the majority of residents do not have assigned parking spots.
There is really no way to add the amount of additional parking Coach Road needs. The Tenant Association is working on a plan to squeeze out a few more spots by redesigning the lines in the current lot.
Since not all residents have an assigned spot some residents have taking saving spots to the extreme and something needs to be done about the constant battle over available spaces.
Although a few residents at Coach Road do have an assigned spot, the free for all parking the majority of the residents deal with creates animosity.
Imagine, you’re legally parked in an unassigned spot at your apartment complex. You’re sitting quietly at home drinking tea only to be startled by someone pounding on your door, calling you everyone name in the book, and demanding you move your car because you’re parked in their friend’s spot. Huh? You’re in an unassigned spot where anyone can park. Now you’re no longer enjoying a cup a tea, rather you’re afraid in your own home because your neighbors were just yelling at you.
This past weekend a reader reported hearing three women at Coach Road yelling at each other over parking. They were yelling so loud they could be heard by the crosswalk near Rebecca’s.
Does this sound like a healthy environment for our seniors and disabled neighbors?
Or imagine you qualify for an assigned parking space because of a neurological disability but you’re denied because the Housing Authority saw you walk your dog and decided you didn’t look disabled despite the several doctor’s notes you submitted explaining your disability and the fact you have handicap plate/card.
According to the Housing Authority, a tenant must have a handicap plate/card or have a letter from their doctor stating they need a space near their apartment due to health issues to obtain an assigned spot. But this wasn’t the case for the former tenant I interviewed. She was denied assigned parking despite having all the documentation. Not all disabilities are visible and often those who are disabled have good days and very bad days.
The more I research the parking situation the crazier it all seems.
What can be done to make the situation better for tenants?
Assign every person who has a car at Coach Road Apartments a specific parking space. The assigned spaces wouldn’t need to be associated with any given apartment. Some residents might not be happy with their assigned space at first but at least they won’t be fighting about parking.
My two cents, give the Housing Authority a call at (508) 529-3293 and ask them to give everyone their own spot. Stop the madness.
UPTON DAILY 
I think many of the comments on this editorial prove the point the writer is making. People are frustrated, you can feel the tension between residents in the comments. It must not be pleasant. The parking issue should be resolved and can be resolved.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say it’s open and free parking and then call people rude because they park in a spot that has been claimed by another tenant. That is part of the problem.
Linda Jones, Miss Commissioner, you have invaded our privacy law. We made be tenants but we are people. Maybe we need to go back to horse and buggy, it would be easier.
Thank you to all the people who have spread the truth. Where were you Evelyn? You went to one tenant association meeting and one housing meeting but you always show up at the BBQ’s. Put a lid on it!!! You’ve only been here a little over a year. You are the wife of the president of the CRTA. Are you on a power trip too?
Ms./Mr.Toto it sounds like you’re stalking me…and what’s going to happen if I DON’T “put a lid on it”???
Yes, I show up at all the BBQs- I contribute food, give donations to offset expenses and help clean up! But I guess you know all that since you’re tracking my moves…Loleve
Yes, I’m the wife of the CRTA president…
Nobody is on a power trip- the CRTA officers and the Upton Housing commissioners are working very hard to resolve tenant issues and concerns in a fair and timely manner!
Evie has been at more than one of the association and board meetings. There are only a few residents who have created this storm about parking. We have spots for residents who have vehicles and we have 3 to 4 that are vacant spots. All of you who think.we can add parking spots safely why don’t you put your name to it and give us some in site to someone’s wonderful plan. The bottom line is you were told when you moved in about the parking situation and no one made you sign your lease. Then you make trouble in what was a quiet, friendly neighborhood.
We have a similar problem at _____, a S____ Housing Authority property. Our property was built in the late 1960s, early 1970s. We have one space per every 5 apartments, and it’s not enough. The S_____ Housing Authority appears to have issued more parking permits than there are spaces to tenants at _____.
We don’t have enough parking spaces to accommodate the number of tenants who have cars. Furthermore, we need to have spaces so that maintenance / management and care providers can visit residents as part of their business. This can be a real problem for visiting nurses, social workers and case managers, because they almost always drive. Many times, they have to find metered parking on the busy city street. Until fairly recently, we had an informal agreement with a nearby bank that we could use its parking lot after business hours (and sometimes during business hours). However, from what I was told, bank officials became upset, because certain residents abused the privilege. I was told, by the assistant branch manager, that the bank management is upset because the badly behaved, loitering _____ tenants get into loud verbal altercations, loiter with aggressive and not obedience trained dogs, yell foul language and make rude remarks (not necessarily at bank customers). One of the troublemaking tenants, with a little red truck filled with garbage he picks up in the street, ‘makes’ his own spot when none is available. Yes, I have heard about altercations at _____ when a tenant used ‘My Spot’.
I personally think that the S___ Housing Authority should limit the number of parking permits issued. There’s plenty of parking in the S_____ Housing Authority Family Development lots and residents of the elderly / disabled buildings can use them.
I can tell you that incidents like what is happening on Coach Road happens at many, many housing authority properties across the Commonwealth. You are not alone. You are not alone in having management give lip service to your problems.
The real problem is that there is very little we, the tenants can do when building management gives lip service to our legitimate problems. There is very little that we can do when management selectively enforces the lease–or when management breaks the lease (or the law). As tenants, when we break our leases, management does have the power to evict. It’s not fair that public housing authority management has a lot more practical power than tenants. Yes, there’s bringing your concerns to the Board of Commissioners. Unless you have commissioner(s) who are willing to hold the housing authority’s feet to the fire (and that involves a lot of work most commissioners are either unable or unwilling to do–for various good reasons), it’s lots of luck. There are people who say that, if you don’t like what’s going on, you can pack up and move. For most of us, that’s not an option. First of all, most of us can’t afford to rent a market rate apartment that’s similar to what we have in public housing. Secondly, there are MANY, many more people who are in need of subsidized housing than there are units. In my town, the waiting list for Seniors is approximately 3 years and you don’t want to know what the wait is for a non-vet younger disabled person. I understand that the waiting list in Section 8 project based housing is just as horrendous. Lots of luck getting a Section 8 Housing Choice voucher. (Section 8 has very strict income limits–and this can be a problem, especially if the tenant is mentioned in another’s will.)
To those who are having problems: read your lease and other supporting documents. When another tenant violates the lease OR when a housing authority employee violates the lease, WRITE a letter to your building manager. Enclose supporting evidence, such as photographs. Keep a copy of your letter for your own records. Remember, if it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.
I eliminated the name of the housing authority and building. I fear landlord retaliation. the S____ Housing Authority is known for selectively enforcing its lease and retaliating against tenants who complain.
There is no lip service going on at coach road. The only lip service being done is the party feeding you all this false information. Our Director is top notch and does her job according to state law. In the words of a party here “she is not done with Upton yet”. She has gone to every department head and committee in town along with town meetings. So if you think these are truths remember she is not done with.this town. After Coach road she will be on to another department.
Denise, proofread your posters about the chicken BBQ! Those who do the cooking, first have a cigarette, then pick up raw meat with their hands that were never washed. What’s wrong with wearing rubber gloves???
If you don’t like it don’t participate and yes there hands are washed and there is sanitizer. Get a life.
So let me get this straight. There are some people who are not happy about parking while others are happy about parking. So just because some are happy about parking everyone else should move? That sounds real mature.
Interesting point in the comments. It appears a Housing Authority Board member is one of the few people who live at Coach Road who has a premium assigned parking spot. Very interesting!
I’m not at all happy about the parking situation at Coach Road apartment. I am however mature enough to know that nothing can be done about it. There’s only so much space to be had. Assigned parking on the upper level would be something more for the disgruntled to complain about. Point in case is the above comment from an unknown poster, about the “premium assigned” spot.
If it wasn’t the parking, some would find something else to obsess over.
The parking situation is one that we were all aware of when we moved here. Nobody forced our hands to sign the lease.
I’ve lived here for a little less than a year. Over time I became aware that there are a few disgruntled residents who create more problems than they solve.
In my opinion…if you’re not happy here, move! Please, don’t make the rest of us miserable.
So seniors can’t park at their own residences. But last year we went bolony house about the absence of handicapped parking spaces with views on the Kiwanis beach soccer field?
I did not write the article, Linda & Evie. I also did not provide any of the documents, nor photos. The Coach Road Tenant Assoc. ,CRTA, officers have been discussing parking for months with management and Board members.. This month’s meeting the Director once again said parking could not be assigned. I have yet to hear a good reason why. We either shovel our own spots out or pay someone in the winter. It’s unfair when someone takes it. For now one person who hired a lawyer has a designated area, the other is a Commissioner on the Board. There are currently 15 people residing here who do not own a car.. Last Fall DHCD wanted a Board member to inquire about getting land from the town behind the back two buildings. Never happened. Thinking outside the box seems to be hard for some people. Leveling the hill, retainer wall?. How much does it cost to pave over some of the grass near the Prime sign.?. Practicality should preside over ambiance..Several cars facing Rte 140 would fit. Right now only about 3 vehicles parking end to end works. Personal Care Attendants, Doctors, Hospice staff, etc can not be worrying about being towed away. Our parking policy prohibits these people & any visitors. We elderly & impaired even lost our door -to -door curbside service this past year. These things should really bother the public. You elect these Commissioners.It should bother those in charge at DHCD. It’s not fun for all of us living here. I guess I should say ” most”, looking at the comments. The serious squabbles are not a figment of anyone’s imagination. Thank you, Jennifer, for your opinion. .. for presenting the facts, the truth.
Pam you say losing curbside door to door pick up that was due to your company parking illegally and causing an accident. Case closed. We cannot put parking in front as it would be to da grouse in rush hour traffic as it it is already next to impossible to get out of the driveway now. You knew what the parking was when you moved in. Maybe you should have moved somewhere where there was parking for all apts, there company and anyone else who just wanted to park in there lot. It is an old development.
Reread your sentences and let us know what “da grouse” means and “traffic it it”? You write this nonsense and yet your on the Housing Authority Board?
I live at Coach Road Apartments in Upton and can attest that we do have ample parking!
The opening photo is misleading and you’re using it to gain readership…
NOBODY needs to use their walker(or anything else) to secure a parking spot,this was a random incident!
The events written about in this post are also misleading and exaggerated,but most of all false!
The CRTA and Housing Authority are working together to alleviate the concerns of all the tenants and have addressed parking!
Coach Road Apts. is a small community of caring and generous tenants but unfortunately there are a few people who are never happy and like to create conflict!
As for the so-called “incident” this past weekend…it never happened!
– Don’t believe everything you hear…idle minds make idle gossip!
– Learn to park properly so you don’t take more than one spot!
– Be a good neighbor!
I have tried to enjoy breakfast at Rebecca’s Place Three in the wonderful window seating HOWEVER I am often distracted by the fighting seen in the distance at these apartments. OBVIOUSLY the people posting these positive messages have been sent here on a mission to make this opinion article look bad. I have seen it happen people. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE
You are such a liar!
Get glasses person!!!
Thank you “Innocent Bystander Eating Breakfast” for seeing, hearing, and telling the truth of what really DID happen!
The incident did happen. I was at the post office at a yard sale and a reader came up to me and said they saw three older women yelling at each other over a parking space. They don’t know anyone at the apartments, they are not connected at the apartments. They just couldn’t believe that people were really yelling that loud at each other about a parking spot .
I also have a letter from the Housing Authority which documents they have notified tenants that inappropriate behavior over parking will not be tolerated and I have more photos.
This is not about readership. I like to write about happy stuff. I’m not sure if you realize I write the blog as a hobby, I don’t get paid, I don’t sell advertising.
Seems like the Innocent Bystander commenter who replied to you is having a little fun with the comments.
Jennifer, you should edit your story for typo’s as well as truth.
Awesome Editorial! So upsetting to see these images…… something should be done! Stop the madness!
Thank you Kim!
Good editorial
Sent from my iPhone
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One whoever wrote this needs to get the address right. Second of all there are more than enough parking spots now for tenants. That’s even with the person writing this letter’stating friend other knowing how to park and taking up to 2 or 3 spots.
This community was built in 1959 when many didn’t drive and there were only 10 parking spots. We have enough been able to enlarge it to 24 and there is no where else to put parking. This person lovessels to beat the dead horse because she can’t think of anything else.
Also about the assigned parking. That is not going to happen. It is called common courtesy to park where you always have.The person writing this is vindictive and moves her car everywhere. Put your energy into positive things as volunteering at hospitals reading to children at hospitals.etc. if you do not like where you like where you live move.
One whoever wrote this needs to get the address right. Second of all there are more than enough parking spots now for tenants. That’s even with the person writing this letter’stating friend other knowing how to park and taking up to 2 or 3 spots.
This community was built in 1959 when many didn’t drive and there were only 10 parking spots. We have enough been able to enlarge it to 24 and there is no where else to put parking. This person loves to beat the dead horse because she can’t think of anything else.
Also about the assigned parking. That is not going to happen. It is called common courtesy to park where you always have.The person writing this is vindictive and moves her car everywhere. Put your energy into positive things as volunteering at hospitals reading to children at hospitals.etc. if you do not like where you like where you live move.
Linda, what’s the right address??? Did you have punctuation in school??? How does anyone park in THREE spots except for those who have more than one vehicle registered in their name??? Linda, you park in three spots yourself. The first being “assigned” to you by management, which in the lease says no assigned parking, and you also park in the employee parking area, and lastly in the main roadway. Okay, now you mention about “assigned” parking, and that this is NOT going to happen yet it has happened for you plus you have your apartment number on the handicapped sign!!!
And lastly, the last line of your comment makes absolutely NO SENSE!!!
you are dumb
Get glasses person!!!