AGENDA #4d

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W.  Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Consideration of Parking Restrictions on Northfield Drive

DATE:             October 22, 2001

Adoption of the attached Ordinance would restrict parking on the entire north side of and for 100 feet on south side of Northfield Drive. Please see the attached map.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

Northfield Drive is a paved road with curb and gutter, approximately 440 feet in length and 32 feet wide from back to back of curb.  The existing roadway extends west from its intersection with Airport Road, terminating at the western property line of The Better Wrench auto service center property.  Currently, the automobile service center routinely uses Northfield Drive to store vehicles.  Since Northfield Drive was, until recently, a dead-end street serving only The Better Wrench business, partially blocking the street with parked cars has not been a problem of public safety, access, or mobility.

.

The Town Council recently approved access to the Chapel Ridge Apartments development via Northfield Drive. This development is on property directly west of and abutting The Better Wrench property.  Northfield Drive now serves as an access road for construction and other vehicles moving between Airport Road and the Chapel Ridge Apartments development site.

 

In order to provide safe two-way traffic on Northfield Drive, parking restrictions are necessary so that the travel lanes are not blocked by parked cars.  We recommend elimination of on street parking entirely on north side of and for 100 feet on south side of Northfield Drive, as shown on the attached map. Parallel parking would be allowed on the remaining 300 feet of unrestricted length on the south side of Northfield Drive. We have informed the owner of The Better Wrench service center of our recommendation, and the owner agreed with the proposed parking regulations.

MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION

That the Council adopt the attached Ordinance establishing parking restrictions on Northfield Drive.

ATTACHMENTS

1.                  Northfield Drive Map (p. 3).

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 21-27 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING NO PARKING AS TO PARTICULAR STREETS (2001-10-22/O-1)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:

Section 1.  Section 21-27 of the Town Code “No parking as to particular streets.” is hereby amended by inserting the following therein, in appropriate alphabetical order:

“Street                                    Side                   From                                     To

Northfield Drive            North              Airport Road                End

Northfield Drive            South               Airport Road                A point 100 feet west of the western

 edge of  Airport Road

Section 2.  This ordinance shall become effective October 31, 2001.

This is the 22nd day of October, 2001.