At the Weems town hall meeting several people talked about the problems they are encountering with parking of heavy vehicles on residential streets. I’ve taken a run at this issue a few times by googling and compiling some interesting pages on different ordinances but I have yet to really come up with an approach that makes much sense. Some people have suggested enacting an ordinance that limits the number of cars a single dwelling can have on a public street but that approach kinda weirds me out and may have significant unintended consequences. Another ordinance I found online prohibits the parking of ANY commercial vehicles in residential areas. That seems a shade overbearing as you couldn’t even park a company car with a logo on the street outside your house.
As I see it, the problem that we are trying to curb is jammed streets in our neighborhoods. I’ve driven around the City and have seen the problems but I’m still looking for more input. Does anyone have more input on the kinds of problems they are seeing or links for other ordinances so I can try to put together something better?
June 6, 2007 at 10:39 am
You know, it seems bit odd that the city is so concerned about dogging homeowners regarding blighted property, which the homeowners own, but the property the city owns ( roads ) is not too well policed. I don’t pretend to know the answer, but as long as you park in front of your own property, who can really say too much ? Now, parking a 10 ton dump truck or a semi-trailer, then we do have a problem.
June 7, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Andy, have you thought about the ordinance PW put in place a year ago?
And perhaps in some of these neighborhoods, they have covenants that prohibit street parking. Unless enforcement occurs, of course people will do as they please. Another idea that could bring a revenue stream in is to allow commercial vehicles to rent space and park in the neighborhood school parking lot. Set up times to park and vacate. I’m noticing in several school parking lots already this is happening during weekends.
June 8, 2007 at 7:07 am
WD:
Which school parking lots?
June 10, 2007 at 8:32 pm
One area that I would like for you to take a look at is limiting parking to one side of a road instead of both. For example Liberia at Landgreen and down to Stonewall is so congested and there is no room for error at all. Another highly traveled with youthful drivers is Main Street at Colonial Village. Those kids driving to school in the morning and coming home in the afternoon have to regularly cross over the yellow lanes to avoid sideswiping parked cars and buses traveling to and from and then on top of it half of the children that attends Baldwin are walkers. This street is a tragedy waiting to happen. Teenage drivers, elementary walkers, large parked vehicles on both sides and bus traffic…….on an already narrow road. Something needs to be done quickly…
June 10, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Great points concerned. Andy I am wondering who what where and when did we stop allowing vehicles to be parked on Breeden Ave near public works. Lots of those guys are working folks who have parked there for years and chose to live near there just because they had a place to park their trucks. They kind of got the rug pulled out from under them.
June 12, 2007 at 9:29 am
Andy,
What would be the possibility of defining commercial vehicals by gross weight, length and height, for zoning purposes? This would allow the guy who has his pickup truck with his company logo, to park in front of his house. I would also suggest zoning against trailers parked on the street. These often times become regular fixtures.
June 14, 2007 at 6:52 am
Andy,
“Which school parking lots?” Metz Middle School parking lots.
June 14, 2007 at 8:54 am
rgr, thx.
July 9, 2007 at 11:43 am
If the roads are so conjested that emergency vehicles can’t get through, then action needs to be taken to ensure public safety. As far as narrow roads in the vicinity of Baldwin are concerned, I think this is a driver problem. Literly thousands of cars have passed down this road over the years without any problems. If kids have problems side-swiping parked vehicles, then they shouldn’t be driving. A number of communities in the area do not allow “Work Vehicles” to be parked in the community parking areas. These can be anything from heavy construction trucks to passenger vehicles with company logo’s on the side. Where are they to park? Public streets are for everyone. If exceptions must be made, restrict trucks by their tonage ratings or length.
July 22, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Hey Andy, Be shure that when you quote a term from the VA state code, you know the definition. A sign on a dodge neon ” Johns cleaning” is not a commercial vehicle by definition. There are signs posted on city streets barring them from driving on them. Maybe you can get rid of the economic developement coordinator with her blackberry and lasvegas trips with her assistant. The money could be used for parking attendants, “meter maids”. What can be so diffucult about ticketing a 15,000 gvarw 26′ long dump truck. Just do it!!!!!!