Springdale officials form temporary committee

Committee has a focus on residential parking

SPRINGDALE -- Officials created a temporary committee Monday evening concerning residential parking.

The committee was created at Monday's City Council committee meeting during a discussion about residential parking. Sam Goade, director of the city's public works department, recommended creation of the committee.

Committee action

Springdale aldermen forwarded the following items to City Council during Monday’s council committee meeting:

• Amending the city’s code of ordinances to decrease the maximum allowed height and face size for signs.

• A contract for work on the storm drain under Wilkinson Lane. The contract is with Necessary Construction Company for $78,856.50.

• Reimbursing the street bond construction fund with $2,182,614.67 from capital improvements program money for work related to the extension of 56th Street.

• Using $164,968.94 from capital improvement program money for an upgrade to the Springdale Police Department’s and Springdale Fire Department’s communication equipment.

• A property-related settlement associated with the widening of Don Tyson Parkway.

Source: Staff report

The committee will go through the section of the city's code of ordinances about residential parking, Goade said. He said it will be about clarifying and adding definitions when needed.

They will discuss interpretation of the term paved, Goade said. He said some people think of gravel, while he thinks of concrete and asphalt. The committee will also need to look at engineering standards for a paved surface and the size of an area that is allowed to be paved for parking.

If there are standards, newly paved areas will also have to be inspected, Goade said. They will need to decide who will do inspections.

The related section of the city's code of ordinances is titled "Parking restrictions in residential zoned districts." Part of it states "no parking, displaying, or storing of any motor vehicle shall be permitted on any grass surface or other unpaved area in any residential zone, or in any platted subdivision zoned agricultural on lots less than one acre in size, except that one designated parking space may be located on the grass in a required front set back adjacent to and parallel to the driveway located on the property."

The section also states that the area must must have enough grass, plants or "landscaping materials." This is to keep the area from getting ruts, becoming muddy or the "soil from being blown or washed away."

Alderman Jim Reed is part of the committee and said his concern at the meeting was about people who already have gravel driveways being told they need to redo it, causing them to spend more money.

Goade said any existing paved parking areas would most likely be grandfathered in. Any recommended changes would be for future paving.

Vehicles can lower property values depending on where and how they are parked, said Missha Wagoner, supervisor of the community engagement division. The division is part of the public works department. Wagoner is also part of the committee.

Ernest Cate, city attorney; Mike Chamlee, chief buildings official with the city's building department; and Alderwoman Kathy Jaycox have been invited to be on the committee, Goade said. Goade said he will also be on the committee.

The committee will bring back a recommendation to aldermen at a future City Council committee meeting, Goade said. He said he doesn't think it will take more than three weeks.

This isn't the first time aldermen have discussed residential parking this year.

Aldermen approved an amendment to the city's code of ordinances on July 14 that limits vehicle owners who are parking on the street in residential areas to only parking vehicles adjacent to their property. They can also do so if they don't own the property but have permission from the owner.

The change states it doesn't apply to someone parking a vehicle temporarily, such as for a party. Those vehicles could temporarily be parked for a maximum of three hours.

Aldermen approved another amendment on July 14 concerning box trucks. The change classifies box trucks as commercial vehicles, which can't be parked or stored in residential areas.

NW News on 09/01/2015

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