7A, Floral Park No Parking Discussion

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.XQEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: October 10, 2011 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers Patrick Klaers, City Administrator FROM: Michelle Olson, Parks and Recreation Manager SUBJECT: Floral Park No Parking Discussion Background Earlier this summer, staff received a request from Rick Morphew, an Arden Hills resident who lives at 1514 Arden Vista Court to change the No Parking on Royal Lane from the north side of the road to the south side of the road. Mr. Morphew provided a letter stating his concerns and a drawing illustrating the sight lines on Royal Lane (Attachment A). He indicates that he is concerned for the safety of pedestrians walking from parked cars to Floral Park due to the curve of the road and limited visibility for vehicles. Staff researched the history of the No Parking at this park. Public Works staff indicated that it was their recollection that the No Parking was placed on the north side in order to prevent the hazard of children running down the hill and going between parked cars. After researching the park files, staff was able to locate correspondence between a neighbor and the City in 1994 that explains how the No Parking restriction began (Attachment B). A letter was written on May 19, 1994 by Sarah Rhude, who lived in the neighborhood at that time. The letter requested a reduction in organized baseball games and the addition of parking restrictions on Royal Drive and Floral Drive to alleviate safety concerns. Originally, parking was allowed on both sides of the road along Royal Drive. This resident stated in her letter that this caused safety issues for both pedestrians and vehicles due to the limited visibility on Royal Lane. Ms. Rhude met with the Parks and Recreation Director to discuss her concerns. The Director brought a recommendation to the May 27, 1994 City Council meeting for approval (Attachment Q. The recommendation was to limit parking to only the south side of the road on Royal Lane and Floral Drive and posting No Parking restrictions along the north side of the road (park frontage). The reasoning for this choice was to keep the entrance of the park visible and also to keep pedestrians from walking into the road from between cars. The Council approved the recommendation on the consent calendar with no discussion. The No Parking restriction has been in place on the north side since that time. A cursory review of staff indicates no known problems with the current restrictions since they were implemented w 10102011 Floral No Parking Request Discussion.doc