PCAgenda_04May25_Canceled - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mr. Barduson's said that the left turn from Prior to Larpenteur remains the only traffic difficulty. • Customers who have difficulty with the turn are encouraged to go through the south (front) parking lot of the credit union and take advantage of the light at Gortner. They hope to educate market customers on all these traffic and parking changes by distributing flyers the first couple of weeks. Finally, he commented that the potential issues of litter and noise did not materialize, and that credit union staff had patrolled and picked up litter on the windy days. Commissioner Harris closed the public hearing and complimented the Twin City Coops as a good neighbor. There was no discussion by the Commission on the I.U.P. Tracy moved, Ryan seconded, that the Commission recommend approval of the permit for the Farmer's Market for another year. Mission carried. PARKING OF CARS FOR SALE Staff Liaison Jones introduced the new ordinance under consideration. This ordinance would restrict the parking of cars for sale in the City by prohibiting such parking on the public right of way while specifically permitting such parking under specific conditions on private property. The use of public rights-of--way as de facto used car lots has long been a source of resident concern in the City, especially along the Snelling service drives. Safety is the greatest concern, but Ms. Jones also cited neighborhood visual appeal and the operation of unlicensed business on public property as being of concern to the City. At present the only tool the City has to discourage this practice is the enforcement of the genera148-hour parking limit. The object of the new ordinance is to move this used car business off the public right of way while not unduly restricting residents, business owners and their employees from parking their own vehicles for sale on private property. • In response to a question from Commissioner Heideman, Jones said that the City would enforce by informing the police of the new ordinance and asking them to start ticketing the cars. This would probably get the message out. The public hearing was opened by Commissioner Harris, but there was no one who wished to speak Speaking as a resident of the west Snelling Drive, Commissioner Harris provided documentation of the safety hazards posed by cars and motorcycles parked on the drive. She distributed a diagram showing how the lights of oncoming cars on the main road render parked cars invisible. There is a very real danger of a head on collision caused by drivers on the service road moving into the oncoming lane to avoid the parked vehicles. Commissioner Ziebarth asked if some of the parked cars belong to visitors to residents along the street. Harris replied that most residents have long enough driveways to provide parking to their visitors. Occasionally there are a lot of cars parked near Roselawn for a garage sale, but this is only in the daytime when visibility is better. Tracy confirmed that it is the cars for sale that are left overnight. Commissioner Ryan raised the issue of residents parking their own cars for sale where there are no front driveways, namely, in the Northome neighborhood. Wouldn't consistent enforcement require the police to ticket cars with "For Sale" signs on them on residential streets as well, even if they belong to residents or their visitors? The Commissioners spent some time in careful discussion of this issue, concerned that the ordinance, as drafted, takes away residents' rights to park in front of their homes when their cars are for sale or • else puts the City in the position of enforcing the ordinance inconsistently. The Commissioners were also concerned that the City not impose a restriction on public street parking that differentiates City of Falcon Heights -Planning Commission Meeting of Apri127, 2004 -Page 1 of 1