Town Meeting to discuss alano parking lot

WAKEFIELD - Town Meeting will ultimately decide the tax status of a downtown
piece of property behind alano, 364 Main St., after the Board of Selectmen
agreed to send the matter for a Town Meeting vote.
But the issue has
potential ramifications beyond roughly $4,000 in tax revenue. Any decision could
impact the future of the 28 parking spaces behind the store as well as access to
a contiguous town-owned parking area. For years the spaces in the rear of alano
have served as additional public parking in a downtown area with insufficient
parking.
The retail clothing store, alano, is located at the corner of Main
and Centre streets in the downtown area. The parking lot behind the store can be
entered and exited from Centre Street. It also serves as an additional access to
a contiguous town-owned lot just to the north, behind the Co-operative Bank. The
only other access to this town-owned parking area is from two narrow driveways
between the bank and Jeffrey’s Package Store.
Some town officials have long
held that the town-owned parking area would be of little or no use without the
access from Centre Street through alano’s lot. As a result, there has been a
long-standing lease agreement between the town and the owner of alano whereby
the town rents 28 spaces behind the store and the public gets access to the
adjacent town parking area through alano’s property.
In exchange for this
parking and access, the town has for many years given the property owner a tax
break.

I love how alano isn't capitalized.