A July 10 forum for discussing how to fix the difficult parking situation in Onset had residents complaining about feeling squeezed out of the village by seasonal guests and day-trippers.

"Out-of-towners parking in front of my house and me not being able to get home from work" is a major concern for Onset resident Lorraine McDonald.

Resident Donna Bailey agreed that even for residents of the village, parking can get dicey when tourists and residents are vying for a limited number of spots.

"None of us have a parking spot anymore," said Bailey. "They park so close you can't even swing in."

The forum was held by the Community and Economic Development Authority. The Authority is using a $10,000 grant from the state Department of Housing and Community Development to study the parking situation in Onset.

Onset residents were asked to share their ideas and concerns with CEDA Director Salvador Pina and the consulting firm working on the study, Nelson-Nygaard.

Lisa Jacobson of Nelson-Nygaard said that the firm has helped towns and cities such as Somerville, Medford, and Needham resolve parking issues. People from the firm will be in Onset in July and August to assess the parking situation an average summer days, and will observe the parking needs of the village during one of the many summer festivals.

Jacobson said that after having seen Onset, she believes the village's "really cool, funky neighborhood streets" give the town a lot to work with, but the layout of the village presents challenges.

"It's clear when you get into the village that there's not a lot of parking," she noted.

Jacobson said that the focus of the study will be on improving availability, convenience, and efficiency.

"When you get downtown to Onset, you have on-street parking supporting businesses," said Jacobson. "How could it be managed more efficiently in the future?"

According to Jacobson, one of the goals of the parking study is to figure out how to prevent spillover parking from the commercial area in Onset into the residential neighborhoods.

Residents were asked to write their concerns on maps of Onset. The suggestions ranged from using parking revenue to bring back trash barrels on the beaches to painting more parking spots on West Central Avenue, a residential street that is close to both businesses and to beach access points.

Residents were also asked to place stickers on a poster board under statements about Onset that they agreed with, and the most pressing concern appeared to be a lack of lighting along Onset beaches at night, which leaves some people feeling unsafe.

Pina said that one possible solution to that problem is to take older street lights that have been replaced, but that still work, and put them in areas that aren't so well lit.

Pina noted that that the parking project is only just beginning, and said he want to hear input from the community about the direction it should take: "I want you to know that my door is always open if you have questions."

Pina may be reached at 508-291-3100, ext. 3171.