City seeks parking study, OK’s no-parking zone

City Council members, from left, Eric Haven, Scott Reynolds, and Sharron Catallo discuss parking on E. Washington Street. Photo by Phil Custodio

BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
The city is seeking a third parking study in as many years, voting unanimously Monday night to invite planners Carlisle and Wortman to the next meeting to present a plan for an immediate, city-wide parking analysis not to exceed $8,500.
The Traffic Improvement Association of Michigan conducted a free survey in 2016, and in 2017, the city surveyed downtown merchants about how many parking spaces then need for employees and customers, and where and when they need them.
Rich Little, who is serving on an “east village” parking committee with Council member Scott Reynolds and other residents of East Washington Street, said the city needs a formal parking study.
“The free parking study did not give us everything we needed,” Little said. “Our own study of city merchants – it was a pretty detailed spreadsheet, but again, it wasn’t everything we needed.”
City Council also voted 4-1 to address an “immediate safety problem” on E. Washington Street by installing “no parking” signs on the north side on the road, between 43 E. Washington and the cul-de-sac.
The signs are needed because cars parking on both sides of the street make it too narrow for emergency vehicles, Little said.
The no-parking decision was made after two hours of discussion with residents opposed to the idea.
The committee’s proposed motion for no parking on the north side of East Washington was initially defeated when it failed to receive the minimum four votes of the council. Council members Sharron Catallo and Jason Kneisc voted “no.”
“This just make more issues with other residents dealing with this problem,” Catallo said. “We need to solve the problem as a whole – we keep doing it in pieces.”
Voting “yes” were Council members Eric Haven, Reynolds, and Sue Wylie. Mayor Steven Percival and Council member Rick Detkowski were absent.
A motion to flip the no-parking zone from the north to the south died without a second, and another to follow the recommendation but add a “resident-parking-only” sign in front of 66 E. Washington also failed in a 3-2 vote.
The council then voted unanimously to reconsider the first motion, and 4-1 to approve it. Kneisc also voted “no” on the motion’s second try.
Reynolds offered to recuse himself from the vote due to his residency on E. Washington, but the rest of the council rejected the offer.

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