Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Park It

Parking issues in Downingtown are nothing new.   A parking in lieu of fee for businesses along Lancaster Ave is exorbitant and prevents many smaller businesses from coming into the borough and filling up the storefronts.  Parking lots in many areas are metered and residents even have to have parking permits on some streets because of the train station, yet here we spend money on things like streetscapes when a parking structure is sorely needed.  Recently parking permits for the residents on East Church Street was brought before council and the issue of the overflow seemed to be the sticking point which still has not been addressed by council even though that was what delayed the ordinance change.  Now Jack Law and Chief McGowan have been working to make one side of Keene Lane no parking because when there is a happening at the Bethel AME church on Prospect or visitors to other residents or even parties on other streets Keene is parked up on both sides making it extremely difficult for the residents of both Keen and Talucci Drive to maneuver in and out of the small development and an emergency vehicle would find it almost impossible to pass through.  It was brought before council tonight and yet again overflow parking seemed to be the issue with council members.  I understand that residents live on narrow streets back in this development and it is something that we have gotten used to, but to be more concerned about overflow parking than the safety of the residents of these streets which encompasses approximately 30 homes makes me wonder if council is actually concerned about representing the needs of the residents above the needs of revenue.  When did the needs of visitors and non-residents become more important than those of us who live here? 

2 comments:

  1. Parking structures are bu coo bucks! Millions. I'm not familiar with the parking situation on Keene but from looking at aerials it seems these home owners have parking with driveways and closing down one lane to parking is a solution to help the safety of the residents on those roads.

    The church could setup shuttles from the Johnsontown Park lot on Sundays to eliminate the burden on their neighbors.

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  2. I know that parking structures are expensive Sean, but honestly wouldn't one pay for itself in a short amount of time with the way parking is so limited in town? Think of how many more people could come into town and enjoy a meal or shopping (if we could fill the store fronts) if more parking was available.

    As for the church situation that is a viable suggestion;a shuttlebus. Most of the residents park in their driveway or if it is on the street it does not obstruct it, but there are also people who live on Prospect that park on Keene so along with those cars and if the church happens to have a wedding or funeral there is no getting out of our development within a short amount of time and there certainly is no way a fire truck or ambulance could get to say the ranch house that sits at the bottom of Talucci Drive.

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