HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - August 2, 1995 (48)CITY COUNCIL MEETING
AUGUST 2, 1995
COMPLAINT REGARDING NO PARKING IN ALLEYWAYS
Howard Babcock, 9 Chestnut Street, Lodi complained regarding the no parking in alleys.
Mr. Babcock received a ticket for parking in the alley near his house, although he has
parked there for years without any problem until now. Public Works Director Ronsko
explained that the law has been on the books since 1967, and it wasn't until recently that
it has been enforced due to public safety reasons. Mr. Babcock explained that this
causes him a hardship, and the City should allow one-way parking. He asked if the City
would make an allowance for him to park his car along the west side of his house. Mayor
Mann directed the Public Works staff to look at the area to see if there is a solution;
however, explained that the City must uniformly enforce its ordinances. Council Member
Davenport suggested that "no parking" signs be put up in the alley, and also asked if Mr.
Babcock could be allowed to hold off on paying his ticket until the matter is resolved. City
Manager Flynn reminded the Council that it has a review board set up to review ticket
disputes. Police Chief Hansen agreed that the enforcement of the parking in alleyways
has been sporadic over the years; however, since the creation of the Partners Program
enforcement has been better. Council Member Pennino agreed that staff look into the
matter and come back with a short response; however, he did not agree that signs be put
into the alleys because it would be very costly.
FILE NO. CC -16
CITY COUNCIL
STEPHEN J. MANN, Mayor
DAVID P. WARNER
Mayor Pro Tempore
RAY C. DAVENPORT
PHILLIP A. PENNINO
JACK A. SIECLOCK
CITY OF NODI
Mr. Howard Babcock
9 West Chestnut Street
Lodi, CA 95240
CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET
P.O. BOX 3006
LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241-1910
(209) 333-6706
FAX (209) 333-6842
August 29, 1995
SUBJECT: Request to Park in Alley Adjacent to 9 West Chestnut Street
THOMAS A. PETERSON
City Manager
JENNIFER M. PERRIN
City Clerk
Your concem regarding alley parking, received by the Lodi City Council at its
August 2, 1995 meeting, has been referred to the Public Works Department for review.
At the meeting, you indicated your vehicle was recently cited for parking in the public
alley adjacent to your residence. This letter has been prepared in response to your
request to be allowed to park in this area.
Parking in alleys is currently prohibited per Section 10.44.020(C) of the Lodi Municipal
Code. This Code Section, adopted prior to 1967, prohibits the stopping, standing or
parking of vehicles in alleys except for the purpose of loading or unloading persons or
materials. In 1990, edgeline striping was installed to delineate parking boundaries in
portions of alleys identified by the,Police Department as having parking problems.
Realizing the number of residences fronting alleys having only alley access,
consideration was given to allow parking as long as minimal emergency vehicle access
could be maintained. Based on the need to provide accessibility to side compartments
of fire engines, a minimum -clearance of 15 feet was established. Since all but a few
alleys are 20 feet wide and parked vehicles require 7 to 8 feet to park, the remaining
width would be 12 to 13 feet, which is Tess than the minimum allowed. The minimum
clearance can only be obtained at locations where additional parking area on private
property exists. Note that the current requirements for fire access in new developments
is a clearance of 24 feet.
The alley adjacent to your residence is 20 feet wide (see enclosed map). Your
residence fronts Chestnut Street and access to the garage is from the alley. If a 7 -foot
parking area was provided, the remaining alley width would be reduced to 13 feet,
which is less than the minimum required. This is true for all the locations adjacent to
your property. While the appearance of the alley seems to indicate that the 15 -foot
minimum clearance could be obtained in certain areas, it would not be possible unless
emergency vehicles utilized private property on the opposite side of the alley. Vehicles
legally parked on private property could hinder emergency vehicle access. Based on
these factors, we recommend the following three alternatives:
City Attorney
Mr. Howard Babcock
August 29, 1995
Page 2
• Realign your fence line or provide an opening in the landscaped area at
the north end of the parcel for on-site parking.
• Park in the 7 -foot wide area in front of garage. This area is on private
property and the minimum clearance needed can be maintained with a
vehide parked in this area, even if the vehide extends into the alley by
1 to 2 feet.
• Utilize parking on Chestnut Street. Park in alley only while loading and
unloading passengers or materials.
Based on the importance of emergency vehide access, and the availability of altemate
parking locations in the immediate vicinity of your residence, we do not intend to stripe
the alley to allow parking with the exception of a possible slight encroachment if parked
in front of your garage.
Please review the parking locations recommended in this letter. If you have any
questions or comments regarding this matter, please contact Richard Prima,
City Engineer, or me at 333-6706.
Ronsko
Works Director
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enclosure
cc: City Council
City Manager
Fire Chief
Police Chief
City Engineer
Fire Marshal
Associate Traffic Engineer
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