CENTERBURG — An hour-long discussion with residents about parking on South Hartford Avenue left council members undecided on how to proceed.
An ordinance eliminating parking on the west side of South Hartford was up for a third reading in council’s legislative session. During public participation, 11 residents commented on the ordinance.
Three favored eliminating parking from Church Street to the end of the existing curb area; three opposed it. The others mentioned concerns about speed and safety or suggested speed-control measures.
Don Wallace said eliminating parking dictates the number of visitors to his home and infringes on his right to the pursuit of happiness.
He said larger vehicles should be limited to school bushes, trash haulers, and those having business on South Hartford, such as home deliveries or repairs. He also suggested posting signs stating no parking during school hours.
Debbie Canipe asked what the safety issue is that prompted council to eliminate parking on the west side. Mayor Greg Sands responded sideswiping, lost mirrors, and drivers jockeying through traffic.
He noted that one of Centerburg’s challenges is grain storage in the village. That means, he said, 750 trucks hauling grain into the village and another 750 hauling it out again.
Additionally, he referenced the increased truck volume stemming from Trillium Farms in Croton being back to full operations. At Canipe’s suggestion to route the trucks around South Hartford, Sands asked, “Where should we send them?
“You have the same thing on Lytle, Wilson, and Barnes roads,” he said. “I wish there was a magic thing I could tell you, but the speed of those trucks is a major problem.”
“The grain trucks, you can’t stop them because they are not going through, they are going to,” said White Road resident Don James.
The village recently placed flashing speed signs on the street. The report states drivers averaged 27 mph, a major improvement according to Sands. He acknowledged 27 is average; some drivers might be going excessively fast, and some might be going 15 mph.
Wallace said the results were inaccurate as drivers slow down when they see the flashing sign. Village Administrator Teri Wise said one option is to do a traffic study to get a truer picture of speed.
Kim Hibbits, a 22-year South Hartford resident, said eliminating west-side parking effectively widens the roadway and increases the chance of speeding motorists. She cited several studies that report narrower streets reduce accidents and increase safety.
South Hartford resident Pam Kelly said she has replaced five mailboxes twice over the past 18 months “because when there’s parking on the west side from Church Street down, people southbound do not yield to northbound cars.”
She suggested adding a solid yellow line down the middle of the road and posting yield signs.
“The speed limits are out of control. I personally like not having the parking,” she said.
Monica Curtis also favors eliminating parking on the west side.
“People that are parking are not paying attention when getting out of their cars. I think it’s nice not having parking; hopefully, it stays that way,” she said.
Christy Merz appreciates the new road but said, “Now it’s a freeway.”
“Forty mph is probably the slowest. Trucks go 50,” she said. “I just want it enforced. Tickets. [Law enforcement] visibility.”
Tim Morris suggested installing a speed bump.
Safety concerns
Residents also mentioned safety concerns with buses coming from the elementary school.
Canipe questioned why all buses could not go via Preston Street. James, a fifth-year bus driver, said some do exit Preston Street. However, because of the number of parents bringing their kids to school, buses behind the parents have a lengthy wait at the light.
When it came time to vote on the ordinance, Councilman Dave Beck raised the question of allowing weekend parking.
Councilwoman Saundra Dove favored limiting the no parking restriction to during school hours and said she likes the idea of a speed bump.
Councilwoman Ronda Seligman felt council needs to discuss the ordinance further and perhaps add to it, noting the ordinance as written does not include suggestions, signs, or speed bumps.
Council members voted down a motion to amend the ordinance to state no parking during school hours by a 4 to 2 vote.
A motion to approve as written was amended to add an exception for “church-related events or by permit for special events as approved by the village administrator.”
Further discussion ensued on the definition of “church,” whether the ordinance should specifically state Centerburg United Methodist Church, and restriction hours. Council ultimately amended the motion again by a 4 to 2 vote and tabled the ordinance until September to give legal counsel time to craft the correct language.
