By Adam Swift
Dozens of Winthrop residents along Shore Drive woke up to an unpleasant surprise on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 28, and it wasn’t the heavy snows many meteorologists had predicted.
Despite the lack of heavy snow, more than three dozen vehicles were slapped with $60 tickets for violating a winter parking ban issued by the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) late in the day on Monday, Feb. 27.
Understandably upset, some Winthrop residents made their displeasure over the ticketing known on social media and notified Winthrop State Representative Jeffrey Turco.
Turco, working with Town Manager Tony Marino and State Senator Lydia Edwards, got in touch with the DCR and had the tickets rescinded.
While Winthrop can call a snow emergency for the majority of the town, the DCR can declare a snow emergency for Shore Drive and Winthrop Beach.
“When DCR made the determination to call a snow emergency, it was late in the day,†said Turco.
Many residents had their cars parked and went to bed without knowing about the DCR declaration. The next day, 39 cars had been hit with the $60 violation tickets.
Turco said he got in touch with DCR Commissioner Doug Rice and asked him to look into the issue.
“It’s not so much that there was no storm, you have to expect that there is going to be a storm, it’s the fact that the notification went out so late,†said Turco.
Rice agreed that the tickets should be rescinded. Turco said residents who got a ticket and did not pay them do not have to take any further action. Anyone who did pay the fine will get a refund.
Turco said it was a team effort with Marino and Edwards to take care of the potential issue.
“Thank you Rep. Jeff Turco for working with me, and DCR in resolving these tickets,†said Edwards.