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Read comments (5)Members of the Le Mars City Council Tuesday, responding to a request from residents in the area, put the area off limits "starting immediately" with local police offers expected to be on hand to enforce the parking change.
Posting of the official "no parking" signs will be done, Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel said, as soon as the signs are available.
Six residents in the area earlier expressed desire for the change to facilitate elimination of "difficulties getting in and out" of their respective driveways. Several council members said they had also observed the situation.
Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga said his department will distribute leaflets to drivers currently parking in the area advising them of the new "no parking" policy, and school officials will be asked to announce the change to students.
Council members are also recommending that, when possible, students formerly parking in the area be encouraged to use school parking lots.
Langel has, meanwhile, in response to a concern expressed by Councilwoman Delana Ihrke, told the council she will have city staff proceed with painting the areas within 10 feet of stop signs in the city with locations near schools in the city first.
Ihrke said as a council member, she would rather afford the cost of paint than to learn of possible traffic accidents related to drivers parking too near stop signs.
While agreeing to the future painting, Langel at the same time, said that Iowa law, even without the painted areas, requires compliance within 10 feet of stop signs in no parking areas.
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Us who live near Gehlen have to put up with this also. I say if you are going to enforce No Parking signs they should be enforced everywhere. We have NO parking signs and Gehlen people get away with parking on these streets. Come on police come over this side of town and so some patrolling.
I think unless they are blockng a driveway it shouldnt be an issue. You live near a school people, you have parking on your street.
Parking around the school will always be an issue. I agree that the student parking lot should be first come first serve. Maybe instead of making any area a no parking area parents of student drivers should explain to them common courtesy.
The high school parking lot is a joke! I know because I use to have to park in it! First come first serve is the way it should be.
Before the council makes more remarks about parking availability, maybe they should check the parking lot at school to see if additional parking is available and then to the under classmen. With kids today, you know they aren't parking that far away and walking because they want to walk 3 blocks. They do it because that's the closest available. I assume that Second Ave between 700 and 900 blocks will be the next with no parking bands. If they did it for one street they will more than likey have to do it for another. Soon the kids will have to park their cars on the football field as secondary parking.