Agenda - Public Works Committee - 04/17/2007

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CASE #5 CONSIDER RESTRICTING PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF PONDV ALE STREETS By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer Background: At the March 20, 2007 Public Works Committee a resident of the Pondvale Estates subdivision noted that during school events overflow parking occurs on both sides of 150th Lane restricting the ability for traffic to move freely down the subdivision streets. With the completion of Heliurn as a through street connecting into the new Meadows subdivision to the north this situation becomes more of a concern than in the past. The Committee directed staff to look into this issue and report back. 150th Lane is 31 feet wide with bituminous curb and gutter and when parking occurs on both sides the width available for traveling vehicles is reduced to approximately 15 feet. The standard travel lane is considered 12 feet wide which would make two vehicles passing difficult and perhaps not possible at all. This condition becomes more aggravated when snow storage diminishes the available pavement even further or larger vehicles such as vans, trucks, or emergency vehicles are involved. Although, there is some degree of parking along l501h Lane that occurs on a daily basis when school is in session, it is primarily limited to short periods of time in the afternoon when students are picked up by parents who choose to wait there to pick up their children rather than in the school parking lot. Special school events, however, extend this situation throughout the whole school day as well as greatly increasing the number of vehicles which are parked on Pondvale subdivision streets. Observations: It should be the goal when considering placing restrictions on any activity including parking, that such restrictions be the minimum necessary to resolve the problem. Restricting parking in a residential neighborhood applies to the entire public, including those wishing to park even for a brief period in front of their own residence. In discussing this situation with the elementary school the number of special events the school holds is perhaps limited to four or five events per year. Recommendation: It is staff recommendation that parking be restricted on one side of 150th Lane, and Helium Street if necessary, during special school events on utilizing temporary "No Parking" signage under the authority established in section 6.03.15 of City Code. Staff would further recommend that communication be established between the elementary school principal and the police chief to determine the dates when such temporary parking restrictions would be necessary.