Ban on front lawn parking in Bethel Park to be considered
Bethel Park council will once again consider passing a law to ban residents from parking on their front lawns.
Supporters of the ban argue that front lawn parking make some areas of the community look unkempt and may affect neighboring residents’ property values. Council has been discussing the issue off and on for about three years.
“I think it’s time” to make a decision, council President Tim Moury said during the township’s committee meeting July 24. “We either want to do it or we don’t.”
Council will consider passing the ordinance at the Aug. 14 regular meeting.
Banning front lawn parking may prompt many residents to park on the street and that will create a bigger problem, especially for some of the narrower roads in Bethel Park, resident Dave Parks told council. He measured one street and found it was just over 15 feet wide. If a car is also parked on that street, other vehicles, especially emergency and utility vehicles, would be unable to pass.
“I think it’s a bad (ordinance). It’s just asking for trouble,” he said. “This is just going to cause havoc.”
Parks predicted that parked cars would get sideswiped more often from drivers trying to squeeze through. The increased parking on the street may also pose a danger to pedestrians, since cars may impede walking areas, forcing pedestrians to walk in the street.
Councilman Jim McLean said municipal officials tried to consider all the circumstances where a front lawn parking ban would not be feasible and “we tried to put in common sense exceptions.”
For instance, those who live on narrow streets will be able to continue parking on their front lawns because street parking is not a viable option. The law will only apply to streets that are over 20-feet wide. Other exceptions will be given to residents who do not have traditional driveways due to the constraints on their properties. Residents with steeply sloped driveways will be exempted because it might be difficult to park in the driveway during snowy weather. Residents with special circumstances can apply for a variance, but that carries a $250 fee.
Residents can also pave, with asphalt, concrete, compacted gravel or other material, a section of their front lawns to use as a driveway.
McLean said the intent of the proposed ordinance is not to push residents to park on the street but to simply plan where parking spaces should be located on their properties.
“We’re just trying to uphold the quality of our community,” Councilman Mark O’Brien said. “We’re not trying to cause people hardship.”
Council members said they can make changes to the law in a year or so if some aspects of it need improvement.
In another matter brought up during the committee meeting, council discussed the final site plan for a new Rite Aid store on McMurray Road. The store has been planned for over two years, but corporate changes, including a since abandoned plan to merge with Walgreens, delayed the project.
J.S. Capitol, a developer based in Michigan, wants to build the store at 435 McMurray Road. Council members voiced concerns about stormwater management. The property owner across the street said 18 months ago that the Rite Aid would cause stormwater runoff to flood his property.
The developer plans to install a pump system to deal with that issue. The system will include emergency generators and a system to alert maintenance workers if the pumps fail.
Council also heard from Mary Birks, executive director of Outreach Teen and Family Services. Outreach operates a counseling center in Mt. Lebanon and offers other counseling services in the surrounding communities. Birks asked council to consider partnering with her organization to provide help to young people in Bethel Park struggling with drug addiction or other issues. Police in Mt. Lebanon sometimes refer youths to the program as a way to get the teens help without involving the criminal justice system, Birks said.