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SPENCER – At their August 4 meeting, the Board of Selectmen heard plans to better manage vehicular and pedestrian traffic as well as parking at the Spencer Fair.
The meeting with Police Chief Michael Befford and Spencer Agricultural Association President Andy Lynch came about after the board delayed a vote on the entertainment license for the event. Members first wanted to hear the steps that would be taken to alleviate the problems that occurred last year.
Befford noted he has been working with the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) and mapping companies to pre-program road closures and detours for the duration of the Spencer Fair (September 3 to Sept. 7 ). A link with directions will be shared on the fair website as well as social media.
Taking into account concerns expressed to him by neighbors, the police chief said traffic going down Meadow Road will only be for residents. Traffic going up that road will be limited and used as an “out” for people who get lost. A traffic officer will be present to guide the motorists back onto route 31 “as fast as possible.”
Smithville Road will be one way with two lanes.
Befford said he learned the hard way last year that non-police doing traffic duty did not work. The police chief said he hopes the changes being made would help fill the shifts with police officers—and he will make phone calls to ensure there is enough coverage.
Lynch talked about ways parking issues would be improved—such as lining spaces on the fields, having parking attendants arriving before the crowds, re-designing the front parking lot for drop offs and using “crowd control fencing.”
Lynch said he is borrowing fencing (for Smithville/Smithville Crossroad), for example, to prevent jaywalking) that was used by the Bolton Fair. In exchange, that community borrowed bleachers for their event from Spencer.
The idea is to keep walkers off the roads and only crossing where police officers are present to direct them.
Also, he noted, volunteers and employees would park in the vendor lot to free up spaces and rides and booths would be closed a little earlier to get attendees to leave “in a timely manner.”
Instead of attendants waiting until each parking lot is full to direct motorists to the next one, they will start that process once the traffic extends out to the edge of the road.
In the past, he said, traffic would back up “to the center of Leicester.”
“Full” signs will be employed as well, he said, and kept there until five cars leave to avoid “laps around the lot–people driving aimlessly.”
They will also implement “drive in parking only,” to stop delays while people try to make three point turns and back into spaces.
The police chief said he is working with MEMA to let people in the police area know via cell phone when lots reach capacity.
Lynch said this will be the second year Northeast Security oversees parking and its fifth year in charge of security. The problems of last year would not be repeated, he said.
Although the success of the fair often depends on the weather, Lynch said the event has been very popular in recent years, attracting record attendance numbers.
And he added people are attending not only for the demo derby or tractor pull, although those activities can attract 1,000 or more.
“It’s not just the derby,” Lynch said. “People are coming into the fair…We’re doing a good job. There’s a lot of good crew trying our hardest.”
Vice chair Jonathan Viner noted, “I think the positive control of parking is going to improve things. It will make a big difference.”
“I know you put a lot of work into this and thought,” added Selectman Jared Grigg. “I appreciate it.”
Selectmen will meet on Tuesday, August 11 at 6 p.m. to vote on the plans.
