Calling it a solution to a non-existent problem, residents of Elmira’s Pheasant Drive won the argument, as Woolwich councillors this week vetoed a plan to limit on-street parking.
The township’s bylaw enforcement staff had recommended parking be prohibited on the south side of the street, from Barnswallow Drive to Chickadee Court, citing requests from neighbours. Under scrutiny, however, that argument quickly deflated.
In a presentation to council Tuesday night, Pheasant Drive homeowner Heidi Kelly presented a survey completed by 12 of the street’s 14 residents indicating their opposition to the proposed changes.
Pointing to low traffic volumes and a lack of parked cars most of the day, she argued prohibiting parking would not solve the problem of people illegally parking too close to the stop sign at Barnswallow, thus occasionally obstructing sightlines near the intersection.
“I really question the need for this if we only have five cars on the street at any one time,” she said.
Fellow resident John Bruder also argued against the changes, noting the issue is with Barnswallow Drive, specifically with employees of nearby Leisureworld Caregiving Centre parking on the streets because of inadequate parking space at the facility.
While not unhappy to have the seniors’ facility in the neighbourhood, he said it was clear even before the place was built that parking was going to be a problem. Both he and Kelly proposed that Leisureworld deal with the issue, perhaps by encouraging employees to park elsewhere.
Like Kelly, he too pointed out the lack of actual data to support any changes, asking to see some quantifiable data before council makes a decision that would adversely affect the residents. In questioning township staff about its recommendations, he was unable to find evidence of any real problems, citing two complaints this year from the same person. The rest of the neighbours have no complaints, he said.
“It’s not an issue to us.”
Councillors quickly agreed with the arguments presented. Coun. Julie-Anne Herteis, for instance, said it makes no sense to spend time and money on amending the bylaw and installing no-parking signs when there’s no problem to solve.
On the wider issue of overflow parking from Leisureworld, director of council and information services Christine Broughton noted the issue has been a township concern for more than a decade. Woolwich has made changes to Barnswallow Drive itself, along with parking regulation, in an ongoing attempt to deal with the parking shortage at the facility, which complied with parking requirements at the time it was built.
Most recently, in 2011 the council approved a bylaw to prohibit parking along the east side of Barnswallow Drive, from First Street West to a point approximately 130 metres south.
In a study of traffic flows on the road, the township determined there are safety concerns with on-street parking in the vicinity of the Leisureworld Caregiving Centre, opting to install no-parking signs.
Meanwhile, councillors did approve changes to the parking bylaw affecting Park Avenue West in Elmira.
Citing traffic flow issues and congestion, staff recommended that parking be prohibited at all time on the south side of Park Avenue West, from Hampton Street to a point 97 metres west of that intersection.
And, as housekeeping measure, the parking bylaw will reflect the change of “no parking” signs on First Street West near John Mahood PS to “no stopping” signs.
