Though not entirely positive, Plain City officials were receptive to feedback from residents regarding the village’s pilot parking program.
During the village council meeting Monday, Murlay Drive resident Lucas Gutierrez provided negative feedback surrounding the extent of the changes.
On Aug. 9, village officials launched a 90-day pilot program that reduced parking in certain areas of Cooper Lane, Dickens Lane, Carriage Drive, Lantern Lane and Murlay Drive.
Street parking was temporarily restricted in these areas after village staff and representatives from the Plain City Police Department and Pleasant Valley Fire District determined parked cars obstructed the path of emergency vehicles.
Gutierrez, however, said he takes issue with staff restricting parking on both sides of Murlay Drive.
He said he has not noticed emergency vehicles “struggling” to navigate the area.
Instead of alleviating any potential bottlenecks, he said he feels the new ‘no parking’ signs are worsening the issue.
“You can’t see now because we’re pushing people down the street now,” he said, adding that it also poses a safety hazard for young children who drivers may not be able to see.
Gutierrez added that restrictions imposed differ from the map that was provided to residents prior to launching the program. He said he expected five homes on Murlay Drive to be affected, but 12 homes lost parking.
“It seems like wherever someone observed a curve, we immediately put ‘no parking’ on both sides,” Gutierrez said.
PCPD Chief Dale McKee said he “wasn’t aware that (restrictions) stretched that far.”
McKee noted that police cruisers do not generally have an issue navigating the area, as the larger concern is surrounding the fire department’s vehicles. He said he would be happy to meet with PVFD officials to review the approach to parking on curves.
Gutierrez also asked council to provide the “data and rationale” behind the program, including traffic impact studies and street measurements that support the decision to restrict parking on the five roads impacted.
Village Administrator Nathan Cahall reiterated that the roads were selected based on safety concerns expressed by local first responders. He said the changes were intentionally structured as a pilot program to “see if parking along both sides makes sense or not.”
Cahall noted that the pilot program may be more restrictive than changes that are actually enacted.
For instance, he conceded that eliminating parking on just one side of Murlay Drive would likely mitigate potential bottlenecks.
“Let’s go a little more robust at first because it can always be dialed back,” Cahall said of the thought process behind the changes.
Until the program concludes, Gutierrez asked if the village will be actively enforcing the no parking area by citing violations.
Cahall said the “goal is compliance,” not to issue citations.
Mayor Jody Carney and Cahall thanked Gutierrez, along with his neighbors in attendance, for sharing their feedback. Carney said she would add the parking pilot program as an agenda item for the Oct. 6 council work session.
A formal public hearing to gather feedback at the conclusion of the program is tentatively set for 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Village Council Chambers, within the municipal building at 800 Village Blvd.
Carney also noted that the installation of 15-minute and 2-hour parking limit signs along North Chillicothe Street is a temporary measure to avoid back-ups during the Uptown parking lot renovation project underway at Lovejoy Plaza.