AGENDA #4d
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of On-Street Parking Restrictions on Edwards Street
DATE: June 9, 2003
The following report is in response to a request submitted by the Overlook Homeowners’ Association requesting that the Council consider restricting parking on the east side of Edwards Street. Please refer to the attached map (Attachment #1).
The Manager recommends enactment of the attached ordinance that would restrict on-street parking (No Parking Anytime) on the east side of Edwards Street from Merritt Mill Road to its dead end.
The Fire Department received a request (Attachment #2) from the Overlook Homeowners’ Association requesting repair of the existing no parking signs and additional parking restrictions on the east side of Edwards Street. The Homeowners’ Association made this request because access for emergency vehicles is sometimes inhibited on Edwards Street when cars are parked on the east side of the street.
Edwards Street is a 19.5-foot wide paved, dead-end street approximately 600 feet in length. Existing on-street parking restrictions on Edwards Street are presented below:
· No parking allowed at anytime on the entire west side
· Parking by residential permit only between 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday on the east side (no restrictions during other hours)
DISCUSSION
We conducted field observations in April at various times on different days. We observed traffic congestion and constricted travel lane widths when cars were parked on east side of the street and thereby restricting the travel width to one lane. We also noted that several cars were parked on east side in the curved portion of Edwards Street near its intersection with Merritt Mill Road, creating sight distance problems.
Based on our observations and discussions with the Homeowners’ Association, we believe that restricting on-street parking on the entire east side of Edwards Street to “No Parking Anytime” would reduce traffic congestion and improve traffic safety conditions in the area. Both the Fire Department and the Homeowners’ Association concur with our recommendation. Ample off-street parking is available for all residences on Edwards Street. As requested by the Association, we have also replaced several damaged no parking signs on the west side of Edwards Street.
The Manager recommends that the Council enact the attached Ordinance that would establish “No Parking Anytime” on the east side of Edwards Street.
1. Area Map (p. 4).
2. Request from the Overlook Homeowners’ Association (p. 5).
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING ON-STREET PARKING (2003-06-09/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 of Ordinances, “No parking as to particular streets.” is hereby amended by deleting the following:
“Street Side From To
Edwards
Street West
Merritt Mill Road
End”
Section 2. Section 21-27.9 of the Town Code of Ordinances, No parking during certain hours except by residential permit” is hereby amended by deleting the following:
(d) 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday--Friday
“Street Side From To
Edwards
Street East
Full Length
Section 3. Section 21-27 of the Town Code of Ordinances, “No parking as to particular streets.” is hereby amended by adding the following in appropriate alphabetical order:
“Street Side From To
Edwards Street Both Merritt Mill Road End”
Section 4. This ordinance shall become effective July 14 , 2003.
This the 9th day of June, 2003.