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20 or so speak on ordinance for lawns
Arguments made for, against a parking ban
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Published: July 8, 2008
About 20 people lined up last night to tell the Winston-Salem City Council what they thought about a proposed ordinance to ban parking on front lawns.
Many residents who spoke in favor of the proposed parking ordinance said that vehicles parked on front lawns in their neighborhoods detract from the neighborhood and lower property values.
But others said that the city should not dictate what homeowners do on their own property.
If adopted, the proposed city regulations would stop people from parking their cars and trailers on front lawns.
Residents would be able to apply for a city permit to expand their driveways or install parking pads. The city would also issue permits so that people could park on their front lawns twice a year, for special events.
Those who continued to park on a front lawn without a permit would be fined $25 per vehicle. The ordinance did not specify whether the fines would accumulate over time, or whether they would be one-time fines.
"Clearly, there are opposing opinions" to the ordinance, said Council Member Wanda Merschel. "I just hope and encourage council members to keep this at the forefront."
Supporters of the parking restrictions showed pictures of four and five cars lined up on the yards in front of homes and a front yard covered in concrete, in effect serving as a large parking lot.
George Bryan, the president of the Winston-Salem Neighborhood Alliance, said he has seen the problem in neighborhoods throughout the city.
"Neighbors have been complaining about parking on the front lawn for years," he said. "This is not a new issue."
Opponents to the ordinance said they should be allowed to park where and when they want. They argued that extra parking is needed when family members come over to visit, when they unload their groceries or when they have to accommodate housemates' schedules.
Some argued that it would be too expensive to apply for a city permit to build a new driveway or parking pad.
"I should be able to use my property to park my car," said Thomas "Wayne" Davis, who lives on Randall Avenue. "I don't think it's correct to take away my rights as an owner."
The city has been accepting feedback from residents for months on its Web site. So far, 43 people have filed written responses.
City staff members have recommended that council members adopt the new ordinance. It is being sent back to the general government committee for more debate.
In other business, council members voted to set up an eight-member citizens committee to review the City-County Utility Commission. Among other things, the committee will review the utility commission's finances and determine if elected officials should serve on the commission.
The utility commission was set up in 1976 to administer sewer, water and solid waste service in Forsyth County. This is the first major review of the commission since its formation.
The committee is scheduled to start work later this month and deliver a final report in January.
The council also approved an ordinance that establishes guidelines for new residential development in neighborhoods surrounding downtown. It covers, for example, how far houses and multifamily buildings can sit back on their lots, the sizes of additions and garages, the placement of housing on narrow lots and the subdividing of property.
The ordinance is an attempt to make new development compatible with the designs of older neighborhoods.
■ Blair Goldstein can be reached at 727-7284 or at bgoldstein@wsjournal.com.
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