TITLE: Title
Consideration of a Town Code Amendment Restricting Parking along Pleasant Drive
PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is for the Board of Aldermen to consider an amendment to the Town Code restricting on-street parking along Pleasant Drive to one side of the street.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Christina Moon - 919-918-7325; Nick Herman - 919-929-3905; Mike Brough - 919-929-3905
INFORMATION: At the April 21, 2015 Board of Aldermen meeting, staff presented information regarding a request to limit on-street parking to one side of the street along Pleasant Drive. The Town had received a request from a resident of Pleasant Drive to prohibit parking along the south side of Pleasant Drive from North Greensboro Street until Mulberry Street. The resident indicated that signs had been posted limiting on-street parking to one side of Pleasant Drive but were removed for consistency with the Town Code, which did not at that time include a prohibition from parking along that segment of the street.
On-street parking is discussed in Chapter 6, Article IV, of the Town Code, and more specifically in Section 6-19, Parking Prohibited in Certain Locations at Certain Times. Subsection 6-19(b)(1)(t) speaks to parking along Pleasant Drive. Parking is currently prohibited along the north side of Pleasant Drive from its intersection with Crest Street to the end of the street, including the unpaved section to the end of the right of way. If adopted, the proposed amendment would prohibit parking along the south side of Pleasant from North Greensboro Street until Crest Street, and continue the current prohibition along the north side of Pleasant from Crest Street until the end of the Pleasant Drive right of way.
The Traffic and Parking Committee, an interdepartmental workgroup consisting of representatives from the Public Works, Police, Fire, Economic and Community Development and Planning departments, discussed the request to limit parking on Pleasant Drive at its October 9, 2014 and January 15, 2015 meetings. Subsequent to the meeting Public Works staff inspected Pleasant Drive with particular attention to the location of driveways and sight distances. Planning staff also visited the street on separate occasions.
Pleasant Drive provides the principal vehicular access for more than 75 residential units made up of a combination of single-family, duplexes and multi-family units, as well as a church. The cross section is approximately 26 feet from curb to curb with only 22 feet of paved surface, sufficient width for on-street parking along one side of the street. Parking on both sides of the street, however, substantially decreases the width of the travelway and, in effect, reduces the street to one-way travel. Chapter 5 of the 2012 Fire Code, Fire Service Features, speaks to the need for access roads to have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet for fire apparatus.
Prior to making a decision on the Town Code amendment, during the April meeting, the Board referred the item to the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) for recommendation. The TAB discussed the request for limited on-street parking on Pleasant Drive at its mid-month meeting on May 21st. and expressed support for on-street parking in general, and referenced the potential for on-street parking to serve as a traffic calming device (Attachment C). Providing for parking on one side of Pleasant Drive seems to strike a balance--allowing some on-street parking while retaining safe access for fire and rescue services.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: Minimal staff impact associated with updating Town Code.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends that the Board of Aldermen consider the draft ordinance amending the Town Code provided as Attachment A.