Parking restriction request riles Geneva residents

A neighborhood's request to restrict parking became a thorny discussion of the preferences of people to not have someone park in front of their house versus the rights of all residents of a town to use the streets.

Residents of Eighth Street south of South Street, Nassau Lane and Crawford Street petitioned the Geneva City Council committee of the whole to prohibit parking for more than four hours, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Fourteen people signed the petition.

They contend the roads are too narrow to allow parking on both sides and still have delivery trucks and public safety vehicles get through.

But 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Piper questioned how a time restriction had anything to do with safety.

"The four hours make no sense to me. If the true concern is emergency vehicles, make it one-sided parking," Piper said. Piper does not represent the area, which is in the 5th Ward.

A man who parks his car on Eighth Street and walks to the train station a half-mile east said he believes people don't want him to park there.

John Devine, who lives on Wood Avenue west of Randall Road, said he has measured the width of Eighth, and that it is about 22 feet wide.

"I find it is a big to-do of nothing," he said. "I hope this community is not going to become an elitist community." He also said he hasn't noticed any other parkers.

City traffic engineer Bob Smith pointed out the city has previously restricted parking in neighborhoods nearer to the station to prohibit train commuters from parking on the streets all day.

Fifth Ward Alderman Craig Maladra suggested the city use its already-established standards to determine whether parking should be allowed at all, thereby removing emotions from the issue.

"The discussions we could have around parking are Pandora's box," he said. The city law calls for at least 18 feet of space, after allowing for parked cars.

In the mid-2000s, the city had a committee that looked at parking issues throughout the downtown and nearby neighborhoods, addressing issues such as commuter, shopper and employee parking.

"It's a juggling act that we have to deal with here, and we're not going to please everyone," Smith said.

The council decided to table the issue until its Aug. 25 meeting and discuss with the residents the option of prohibiting parking on one side.