A group of Agawam village residents are concerned that their parking spots are slowly being taken away from them. But according to the administration, the assigned spots are not only here to stay, but parking improvements are also coming down the pike.

Last Wednesday, 12 residents of Agawam Village --one of the two senior housing properties run by the Wareham Housing Authority-- met to discuss the state of parking in their community.

“We want assigned and marked spaces for those of us with vehicles,” said resident Henry Fernandes. He said that since 2009, after he petitioned the board, residents at Agawam Village have had assigned parking. The last six months to a year, residents say the assigned parking has been disregarded by visitors and guests and numbered parking signs have been moved. One woman, who has an oxygen tank, said she has to walk all the way across the community with her groceries because her spot is taken after she leaves.

According to Fernandes, there are 31 parking spots in Agawam Village and 19 residents with cars. He said that the administration is trying to claim there are no assigned parking spots at Agawam Village.

But Wareham Housing Authority Board member Bob Powilitas disagrees. He said that the administration is working on a plan to have separate assigned resident parking and visitor parking. Currently, there is a small visitor lot at the entrance of Agawam Village, but most visitors park by the residents they are visiting.

Powilitas said Housing Authority Director Jacqueline Hickey and members of the Tenant Relations Committee (two members of the Housing Authority board) have met with residents and are working on a plan to expand parking and address the residents concerns. One such meeting, however, had to be cancelled last Wednesday.

Powilitas said the Housing Authority plans to add speed bumps, new painted lines and new signage to the community and plans to have that all accomplished by the end of the summer.