A sign announcing the city's overnight parking ban in previous years
OSWEGO, NY – The Port City’s winter parking policy for this winter will be the same as it was last winter.
The vote on a resolution to authorize a public hearing regarding proposed amendments to the Code of the City of Oswego, Chapter 257, Vehicles and Traffic Ordinance, Section 257-27 (D), Winter Parking Restrictions turned into a mini debate on the overall policy at Monday night’s Common Council meeting.
“We voted down a change to the law tonight. So the policy that we had last year still stand,” said Councilor Nate Emmons. “In terms of the exception policy, if you don’t have a driveway you can apply for a permit and be able to park one car on the street.”
The vote to hold the public hearing on whether to change the law, again, that would have meant you could have two cars on the street, failed.
“We’ve been changing this policy for how long?” the councilor asked rhetorically.
He said he is in favor of having a parking study completed. Council President Eric VanBuren said last week that we would facilitate such a study.
“I brought it up last week (at the committee level), he added. “I think there are enough votes there to get a parking study done. Let the parking study play itself out and let the council next year vote on whatever it’s going to need to vote on. But let’s not change it again this year so the council’s back at it again next year. Every time we change a law, it costs the taxpayers dollars.”
Emmons said it won’t solve most of the issues many of the residents have, but at least it will be one year of consistency.
“It takes care of one issue; and that is ‘what it the parking policy?’ At least it will be the same from last year to this year,” he said. “Quite frankly, the two car thing I don’t think would have solved a lot of problems.”
For instance, with a lot of family members coming to visit for the holidays, it’s likely residents would need parking for more than two vehicles, he pointed out.
“Let the parking study happen. Then, let the council figure it out from there,” he said. “If the council’s going to talk about (winter) parking, it’s a conversation that should happen in March, not in the fall.”
Historically, “The mayor, at his discretion, may impose a winter parking ban commencing on or after December 1 and continuing through March 31. The mayor may suspend or remove the winter parking ban prior to March 31 at his discretion if winter conditions permit. During such time as the winter parking ban is imposed, the parking of any vehicle on all highways and streets shall be prohibited between the hours of 1 and 6 a.m.”
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Again, what has changed since like the 1960’s. No houses with no parking have been built I would say. The only thing that has changed is people having more cars at houses that have no parking. Why would you buy or rent a house with no parking in Oswego? There are more houses with parking than without. Why inconvenience the whole city for a few people that purchased or rent a house without parking. I’m sorry if they have no parking and they have to find an alternative but people have been doing this for a very long time so I say keep the parking band for all cars to be off the streets at night.The city needs to look into how many unrelated people are living in some of theses apartments. I do believe there’s a code for that…..