Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWD-31-97~: _~' THS CORPORATION OF TIi$ MUNICIPALITY OF ( xxxi~RSFl~Pk~k~i~lCRkl~i~XTIA~t~.i~Mt§~§ REPORT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: May 20, 1997 Report#: WD-31-97 File#: Subject: PARKING IN TH8 CSNTRB OF TURNING CIRCL85 (WILDS COIIRT, BOWMANVILLB) File # /~~~~~~~~ - ~C~-f--,,C o Res. # S~ By-Law # Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following:. 1. THAT Report WD-31-97 be received; 2. THAT the existing policy that parking not be permitted in the turning basin or centre of any cul-de-sac remain unchanged; and 3. THAT .Ralph Brown be advised of Council's decision. REPORT 1.0 A No. 1: Key Map No. 2: Petition received from Wilde Court on January 13, 1997 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 At a meeting held on January 13, 1997, the Council of the .Municipality of Clarington passed the following Resolution #C-35- 97: ~~THAT the delegation of Ralph Brown be referred to the Director of Public Works, the Director of Planning and Development, and the Clerk to investigate the situation and prepare a report to be submitted to the General Purpose and Administration Committee; and 1214 o.PE °®.~.~,. ,. i RBPORT NO.a IiD-31-97 BAf}$ 2 THAT Mr. Brown.be advised of Council's decison.° 3.0 RYVIBW AND COffidBNT 3.1 Introduction The Municipality of Clarington has approximately 120 turning circles located within its boundaries. Prior to 1986, municipal standards varied and Wilde Court was built with a'fifteen (157 metre outside curb radius and no centre island. From 1986 to 1990 the standard was set at a fifteen.(15) metre outside curb radius with no island. The standard from 1990 to the present is a 13.5 metre outside curb.' radius with no island. Some. municipalities, such as Oshawa, still include islands within turning circles as part of their construction standards. Such an approach. obviously eliminates the potential for parking in thee. centre of turning circles. The trend towards a smaller.. turning.. radius has made it more difficult for large vehicles to negotiate turns withn;turning circles. The absence of centre elands,permits additional manoeuvring room for .large vehicles, improved-"snow storage, and improved traffic movement. .The residents of Wilde Court are asking for a five (5) metre wide. painted lane around the court to create a designated 'travel lane with a proposed parking area in the centre. Any decision affecting the parking in Wilde Court could set a precedent for-other turning. circles in the municipality. 3.2 Commeats from Various Denartmaats nd Agencies Clerk's Department (By-law) The by-law enforcement officers have issued tickets in numerous turning circles throughout the municipality for many years prior to 1995. Enforcement is often applied on a complaint basis, but is increased during the winter months to ensure that snow removal operations can be performed. Staff is not aware o£ any municipality which permits parking in the centre of a roadway or turning circle. 215 .4'1 f ~~ ` PAQ8 3 RBPORT NC1.: WD-31-97 The 8y-law Department is opposed to the proposed parking request, as it will lead to additional parking complaints. The parking tickets are issued as per Traffic By-law. 91-58, ..Section 4 (l) (A), as follows: °No person shall park or atop any vehicles on any_ highway or portion thereof except as follows: Where there is a curb on the right side `of the travelled portion of the highway, having regard to the direction such vehicle was proceeding, with its right front and.-rear , wheels parallel to and not more than 15 cm ' out from such curb." Motorists parked im courts are occasionally charged under Secticn- 4 {4) (D) as follows: "No person shall on any highway stop any vehicles in such a manner as to interfere with the movement of traffic or the clearing of snow from the highways.° Other violations observed in Wilde Court include: Parking within one (1} metre of a driveway: • Parking in driveways with the vehicle extending beyond the curb line; • Angle parking; and • Parking in excess of the three (3) hour limit. 3.3 Planniag Dspartment When the draft plan of subdivision including. Wilde Court was approved and eventually constructed, the dwelling unite fronting. onto Wilde Court were sited in consideration of the regulations contained in the former Town of Bowmanviile Zoning By-iaw 1587. A 1216 minimum of one and one-half (I.5) parking sgaees per dwelling unit was to be provided. :The Municipality's current Zoning. By-law (Comprehensive Zoning By- Ilaw 84-63) .requires two (2) parking spaces per unit. From the siting plan of Wilde Court, it would appear that su€ficient area .:exists to provide this updated minimum. of two (2) spaces ger each- unit.. Consequently, with their longer than average driveways, Wilde Court homes have similar or higher parking availability as compared to other courts being approved today. 3.4 Fire Department The Fire Department prefers courts with no centre island, but objects to the parking of vehicles in the ceptre of the court, as they want the,area for their use in an emergency. Vehicles parked in the centre of the court could force the larger emzrgeney`vehicles to park back at the throat of the col-de-.sac and impede the fire crew's operation. If a centre island .curb were in place, the fire.. trucks' could drive over it in an emergency but... they cannot': manoeuvre around parked care. The Fire Department is opposed to the :parking request. 3.5 Public Works Public Works is opposed to the parking request, with snow clearing, operations being the primary concern. The driving surface of a court becomes considerably smaller 'in the winter monCha due`to snow accumulation extending outwards from the curb. In addition, snow is plowed around the court and into the centre. The snow is pushed into a central pile to improve access around the-court and, as time permits, the snow is loaded onto trucks and removed. When a vehicle parks in the centre of the .court it becomes an obstruction to both the operation of the plow-truck and the snow:: storage area. When this illegal parking situation occurs, the plow driver cannot perform his .duties within the turning circle and. moat continue on with the remainder of his route. This situation 1217 . . RSPORT A10.: .ND-31=97 PAGB 5 h t th 'r court r generates many complaints from the public, stating t a ei was not plowed, but the lack of-service is often a direct result of the-illegally parked vehicles. There are three (3) Public Works' employees sworn in as parking. enforcement officers to assist the By-law Department.. It is their _duty to issue tickets to vehicles obstructing any snow clearing .operations, with courts being the moat problematic areas. 3.6 Garbage aad Racycling 8®rvicas Miller Waste Systems (recycling collection) and Laidlaw Waste Systems (garbege collection) have difficulty moving around some courts, and parked vehicles further hamper .their duties.. 3.7 Durham Ragioaal Police Inspector Roas Smith of 16th Division Bowmanville has reservations about permitting parking in the centre of courts,. To permit parking is contrary to. the existing traffic by-law and other by-laws throughout the 'Region of Durham. To permit parking is also contrary to normal practices described within the Highway Traffic Act, which makes references to parking on the right hand side of the roadway and not obstructing traffic. 3:8 D4aianated_Court Pa Concept As mentioned above, Staff is opposed to recommendingithe concept of_on-street parking. Although there is some advantage o be gained by the proposal, there are numerous disadvantages: Advantages • The residents would obtain short term parking for a portion of the year. • The gain of eight (8) centre parking spaces minus the loss of two (2) curb parking apaces,,would equal a net gain of six (6) parking-spaces. 121$ .; .~` RB~ORT NO.: 11D-31-99 PACiB ,6 Disa$vaatagea • The Fire Department would lose their preferred parking area in an emergency, i.e. theycan use the empty space or drive over ' a curb, but they cannot manoeuvre around Barked vehicles. • The garbage and recycling. trucks would have less room to manoeuvre and would prefer no parked vehicles. • The confusion for the public.. if one court has 3.egal parking and. others do not. Public confusion makes it more difficult for: By-Law 8nforcement and the Courts to enforce by-laws. • Additional requests would be received. Once one court receives designated parking, others would likely request it. - The additional requests would result in additional staff time for review, reports, additional coats associated. with- installation, and maintenance costs of signs and pavement. markings. • Residents may object to signing requirements which may seem extreme, .but would be necessary for enforcement.. • Residents would still receive parking tickets fora variety of_' .reasons, such as parking during the winter season, parking over three (3) hours, parking on or over the boulevard if a vehicle extends beyond the curb line. • It would be difficult to stop the public habit of parking in .the winter season if they are permitted to park at other times of the .year. • Wilde Court is large and would hold eight (8) vehicles, but standard courts being. built today would only hold four (4) or leas.. • Children, who love to play in courts because of the low speed and volume of traffic, would be playing. between parked cars and could be hidden from a driver's view. • The By-law Enforcement Department would receive complaints of some motorists using spaces on a permanent basis, in excess of three (3) hours, and preventing the intended temporary use. • If any residents park is their driveways;. but leave the vehicle protruding into the travel lane, combined with X219 • g _ 1fD-31'-S7 vehicles parked in the centre of the turning. circle, the vehicle: would interfere with traffic movement. • Residents backing from driveways would have ',to :watch for' parked vehicles and pedestrians more closely. , • This type of parking is not permitted anywhere else and, if challenged in court, the by-law or signing could be judged as invalid. • Although all residents of Wilde Court signed the petition supporting the proposed parking in their location, Ather residents, such as those on Maconnachie:Court, have strongly requested,-through a petition, that parking in their court be -- prohibited and strictly enforced. in other', courts, the residents may be divided on the issue and a d~caon would have to be made in support or against parking within the turning circle. 4.© CONCLIISSQHB' 4.1 .From the above; it is concluded .that, although apace. exists for parked vehicles within the centre of turning circles, there are numerous safety, maintenance, ,legal, and garbage collection issues which` would make this an ongoing enforcement problem: Every department or agency contacted had reservations about, the request and would .not support it. Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by, rr~/^/ Ia'~" "~ILI'~ Stephe A. Vokes, P,Bng. W. H. Stockw Director of Public Works- Chief Administrative'gfficer RD8*ph Ma}~ 14, 1997 Attachments Mr. Ralph Brown Mr. Robinson 6 Wilde Court 7 Willow Court Bowmanville, ON, L1C 3X6 Newcastle, ON L1B 1J6 1220. PROPERTY LINE CURB LINE Ct. 2 �Sm 9m m 6, MANVILL Ell a ❑ Kin St. � Hobbs Dr s1rE cr iley C:\ATTACHS\B0WMAN\WlLDE.DWG ffilde ct DRAWN BY: JM DATE: APRIL 1997 ATTACHMENT KEY MAP WD-31-97 1 N 1 F To: Clarington Council RE: DESIGNATED FARKING AREA MARKED CENTEk OF PAVEMENT WILLIE COURT, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO , Back in 1975 or 1976, the council approved the Development of Wilde Court. The plans were approved by the Council at the time. Parking for visitors must noc have been given much consideration. The roadway of the court is circular, measuring approximately 30.5 meters in diameter with an entrance 8.3 meters wide and 1n.2` meters long. For over 14 years, that I am aware of, vehicles have been parked in the center of this c~>urt for chart periods during t}]e day and evening by visitors to residents of the court, as well as, residents on Hobbs Drive and Deerpark. Also, people have been observed parking in the court to enter the Sooer Creek area to walk and exercise animals. The parking has never created any problems with the residents of the Court. The parking has usually been done in the center, without interfering wiih the laneways of the permanent residents. Because of the design, a walkway to the green belt and fire hydrant, there is very little area to park along the alleged curb. When vehicles are parked according to the letter of the law, upon entering the Court, visibility and roadway are restricted. The court is also used as a play area, which we are well aware of and everyone drives accordingly, or they hear about it from the residents. One night, I counted 31 vehicles parked in the center of this C-OUrt, Wit}] Cl ~: 1a21 ~'Wa y.`; b10Cked, aI]d With ample rOiJm fpr VehiCle3 to drive around the court, or enter the laneways. This was a real exception. Yes, if a person entered with a Tractor Trailer or larger vehicle, there could have been problems, but I am sure that if that situation arose, it would be cleared very quickly. Larger vehicles do have problems, even when there are no cars parked. Example: The garbage truck has to back up a couple of times because of the radius. One thinq_ that we, the residents, have been very conscious of, is snow removal. There is no way we want to interfere with the good lob the operators do. Yes, 'they also have tr, reverse to get around the court. They do an excellent lob with the oversized equipment they are supplied with. All of a sudden, in 1995, vehicles parked in the center of the court started receiving Parking Tickets. Si5.00 a shot. Parked right wheels more than 17 cm. from curb. Again, this year, every so often, Parking Tickets are issued. Uueto this enforcement, which has been originated. by the Town, it becomes necessary for the residents of the court to Look at a proper way for us to have ATTACHMENT N0. 2 WD-31-97 122 Page 2 RE: DESIGNATED PARKING AREA MARKED CENTER OF PAVEMENT WILDE COURT, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO. visitors attend our homes or a plar_.e for us to park. our vehicles so that we can use our laneways for other purposes occasionally. (Re: Home Repairs, Merchandise Deliveries, Duct Cleaning etc.) Yes, if you want to interpret the law by the letter and definition of a roadway, it is illegal to park in the center of the court. Therefore, wanting to be law abiding citizens, we request that the center of Wilde Court be officially markee as a parking area. This can be done by marking a Traffic Lane 5 meters wide around the court, which would remove the center from the roadway. The collection of garbage and recycling will be assisted with this type of designation as it will save time and the carrying of containers a further distance. Zt is too bad that common sense has not prevailed, and we, as residents, have had to do something to protect ourselves and our friends. Please find attached the signatures of residents that are in agreeance with this request. 1223 REs'IDENTs WILDE COIJRT We, the 1_l7iiYer; ].gtled, arr_ re~lr~rllrS +?I Wllfa!' CC~t_]rt, BC~wttl•7n~ililr, We aii request a DESIGNAI^ED EARRING AREA in the CENTER of the court and have requested Ralph Brown, to speak on our behalf. # 1 Wiide Court I ~ ~'"` ~7lc~s - /` _. ~/%,/L ~~ 2 Wiide Court /j # 3 Wiide Court i { -,.. r i , -~.~_ # 9 Wiide Court # 5 Wiide Court ~ # 6 Wilde Court / ~ // # 7 Wilde Court ~ 1~~~~~~~, f ~ c r~r;`i i # 8 Wiide Court # 9 Wiide C~~_irt # 10 Wiide Court !,' 7ir C, ,~ rte , ~ # I1 Wiide Court .~); :_-, # i2 Wiide Court --z.L-~%` # i 4 Wiide Court <7~-~-~--==~--~-~ ,~ L' '~L LC/l/C C-( l/C i o Li' !Silo:: << /c Lv ~~ 9~~,~ ~.~'i:'~S~ 1224 • .~ ~ ~ ~ it a E'~S ~n ~ d r, ? rr ' _._ _ ~ --~~ ~ - _ ~ 1VVVI - r,y ~ !~ '• ~~ I J / ~ ~ ____-._ -. ~ '~ 7j 9.7j ~ ` `1. __ __ i11 M ----- t--_. J _- `-' ( - i ~'~ x,25 \ j ~ G•~` '~ ,~o ~ ~ ,_ ~ 'j ti~ti ~<, i ~~ ~ r ~~~, _ .~ ,, `, J / µ J ~ ! ' -'r ~ - ~ ES rOC~ n%G,: CpX r 5,~". ~^ - _ JC1 tl t~ !` $l`- ~ /~/..2 yr /J.!'r .- o,. ;,; ~' ' ~ " F - r ~~ ,' -. _. ,,~~_ _ 1225