A contentious petitioner’s article to create a permanent walking, running, and biking exercise zone on Glades Road was defeated at Town Meeting. The petitioner, Kyle O'Connor, argued that the Select Board’s 2025 decision to add parking stalls along the seawall prioritized cars over people and compromised the safety of a road heavily used by children and dog walkers. O'Connor’s motion sought to remove parking stalls, lower the speed limit to 15 miles per hour, and remove road striping installed by the town.

Select Board member Dr. Nico (Athen Osenko) reported that the Select Board, Fire, Police, and Advisory Board were all unanimously opposed to the article. The primary reason is safety and liability, Dr. Nico said, explaining that the exercise zone statute was never intended for public roads shared with motorized vehicles. She further argued that the town’s current striping actually provides a safer pedestrian transit area and that removing it would create more confusion and liability for the town.

Resident Kristen Degavilla attempted to save a portion of the article through an amendment that would focus solely on prohibiting parking beyond the existing four lifeguard spots. However, Dr. Nico countered that the amendment was unvetted and still utilized the problematic exercise zone terminology. The amendment failed, and the main motion was subsequently defeated by a majority voice vote, leaving the current Glades Road traffic and parking configuration in place.