Many Applewood Drive residents will be at the Lakeside Park Council meeting Monday, February 13th to oppose an ordinance Mayor David Jansing is pushing to ban all on-street parking at the top of Applewood during weekdays, 6am-5pm.

The ordinance does not exempt holidays, non-school days, or even mail/package delivery. The first reading was January 9th, the second reading and vote comes at the council meeting. Had residents not discovered there was a first reading of the ordinance, it could have passed without their knowledge. Council minutes have to be approved before being published. January’s minutes will be reviewed and approved at the February council meeting, the same night the ordinance comes up for a vote.

The Mayor is convinced the cars parking on the street forces larger vehicles to run up onto the median and destroy the grass. He requested residents voluntarily refrain from parking on the street in two letters last fall. In the September 2011 council meeting, he praised residents for 100% compliance.

Complying with the Mayor’s request was voluntary and some residents could not refrain from parking on the street due to the limited capacity of their driveways. The median has been in place on Applewood Drive for the past 12 years.
As you can see in the picture below, a car can be parked on the street, and a school bus has adequate clearance.

City Attorney Greg Voss stated in the meeting he was instructed to make the penalty higher and that he was told “this is for the person who intentionally puts their vehicle on the street to force people into the median and cause damage”. 

Two council members are clearly opposed to the ordinance, including Andy Disken, who stated, “If you are careful [driving], you can get around it.” Councilwoman Aimee Pelletier opposes the length of time prohibiting parking in the ordinance, saying, “Basically, you can’t park on your street.”

There may be more council members in opposition once the residents are heard. Four of the six council members have to vote against the ordinance in order to defeat its passage.

The Mayor lives on Applewood Drive, which his tenacity in trying to pass the ordinance could appear to some as favoritism. He has not pursued ordinances or addressed street conditions in this manner for other streets in Lakeside Park. He claims he has 98% support from Applewood residents and that they are in favor of the ordinance.

Residents will be present at Monday’s council meeting to state they never agreed to an ordinance and oppose enacting one. Some residents have other solutions to propose.

The council meeting will air live on Insight Channel 16 at 7pm, Monday, February 13, 2012.