TO: Mayor and Town Council
On October 23, 2000 the Council received and
referred a petition requesting the prohibition of parking large diesel trucks
on residential lots. The follow-up
report presented to the Council on November 13 indicated that the parking of
such vehicles in residential neighborhoods is not a violation of the Town Code. At that meeting the Council requested that
police department officials review and attempt to resolve the particular
parking issue addressed in the citizens’ petition.
On November 16 a follow-up petition was received
from the original petitioner asking that the owner of the truck be cited for
violating the Town’s Noise Ordinance.
The vehicle in question is a tractor trailer parked
on Culbreth Road. Representatives of
the police department have inspected the truck and determined that it is in
good working order with all required mufflers and safety equipment. The truck is parked on the property of its
owner. The owner of the truck has
informed officers that the truck must be run for a few minutes prior to moving
to build up air pressure so that the truck’s brakes will function
properly. The owner has agreed to run
the truck in the morning only to the extent necessary to build up the required
level of air pressure.
The truck is parked on a lot in Chapel Hill. The petitioners reside in Carrboro. The noise emanating from the truck is not a
violation of Chapel Hill’s Noise Ordinance nor does it violate any Carrboro
ordinance.
Interim Police Chief Gregg Jarvies has been in
contact with the petitioners to review the results of the Town’s investigation
into this matter and to let them know that we will continue to monitor the
situation.
1. Petition
from Jan Symonds and Dorothy Zehnal, October 23, 2000 (p. 2).
2. Letter
from Dorothy Zehnal, November 16, 2000 (p. 3).