Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Parking Press / Them Bastards
City cracking down on parking in fire lane
CHRISTINE MARGIOTTA , The Saratogian 01/27/2004
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Some Broadway employees who park on Long Alley have recently found $50 tickets for parking in a fire lane tucked under their windshield wipers.
City police have issued 13 parking tickets for fire lane violations so far this year, eight of which came from Long Alley, Assistant Police Chief James Cornick said Monday.
Some employees protested the tickets, saying Long Alley is blocked at the northern end by a street gate, two trash bins and a sizable snow bank, making the street inaccessible from the Seasons In Saratoga home decorating store parking lot on Broadway.
'You can't say it's a fire lane because (the trash bins and snow bank) are there,' said Kim O'Reilly, an office assistant at Bonacio Construction on Broadway. O'Reilly no longer parks in the alley since she received a parking ticket last August, she said.
But those who obstruct Long Alley's fire lane will still get tickets regardless of the barrier at the end of the street, fire officials said Monday.
Though fire code states 'fire apparatus access roads shall not be obstructed in any manner, including the parking of vehicles,' Seasons in Saratoga property owner Chris Armer can put up a barricade to keep nonpatrons from parking in the private lot -- he just needs to make sure firefighters can cut the lock, said Lt. Pat Rocco of the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.
In addition, Armer must keep the area plowed and remove the trash bins, both Rocco and Fire Chief Bob Cogan said.
'The lane can be blocked, but it has to be a barrier we can deal with,' Cogan said.
Armer could not comment because he was out of town, store employees said. Fire officials plan to discuss the issue with Armer when he returns later this week.
The alley obstruction is only one of many compounding factors adding to the ongoing downtown parking problem. The lack of parking compels people to park in fire lanes, in front of fire hydrants and within loading zones, causing safety hazards, Rocco said. In addition, new tenants on Broadway compounded Long Alley's vehicular congestion, making it difficult to adhere to the 20-foot minimum unobstructed width the city fire code requires for all fire lanes.
Officials said employees from Roohan Realty made the majority of complaints to the fire department about the parking tickets. Owner Tom Roohan agreed with fire officials, saying the parking crunch was 'not a brand new issue.'
Deputy Mayor Alicia Wardell said Monday the city is researching possible funding sources to help combat parking problems and is fielding other possible downtown parking deck locations.
©The Saratogian 2004
Now I wish I didn't immediately pay this ticket. ¶ 1/27/2004 07:06:00 PM
CHRISTINE MARGIOTTA , The Saratogian 01/27/2004
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Some Broadway employees who park on Long Alley have recently found $50 tickets for parking in a fire lane tucked under their windshield wipers.
City police have issued 13 parking tickets for fire lane violations so far this year, eight of which came from Long Alley, Assistant Police Chief James Cornick said Monday.
Some employees protested the tickets, saying Long Alley is blocked at the northern end by a street gate, two trash bins and a sizable snow bank, making the street inaccessible from the Seasons In Saratoga home decorating store parking lot on Broadway.
'You can't say it's a fire lane because (the trash bins and snow bank) are there,' said Kim O'Reilly, an office assistant at Bonacio Construction on Broadway. O'Reilly no longer parks in the alley since she received a parking ticket last August, she said.
But those who obstruct Long Alley's fire lane will still get tickets regardless of the barrier at the end of the street, fire officials said Monday.
Though fire code states 'fire apparatus access roads shall not be obstructed in any manner, including the parking of vehicles,' Seasons in Saratoga property owner Chris Armer can put up a barricade to keep nonpatrons from parking in the private lot -- he just needs to make sure firefighters can cut the lock, said Lt. Pat Rocco of the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.
In addition, Armer must keep the area plowed and remove the trash bins, both Rocco and Fire Chief Bob Cogan said.
'The lane can be blocked, but it has to be a barrier we can deal with,' Cogan said.
Armer could not comment because he was out of town, store employees said. Fire officials plan to discuss the issue with Armer when he returns later this week.
The alley obstruction is only one of many compounding factors adding to the ongoing downtown parking problem. The lack of parking compels people to park in fire lanes, in front of fire hydrants and within loading zones, causing safety hazards, Rocco said. In addition, new tenants on Broadway compounded Long Alley's vehicular congestion, making it difficult to adhere to the 20-foot minimum unobstructed width the city fire code requires for all fire lanes.
Officials said employees from Roohan Realty made the majority of complaints to the fire department about the parking tickets. Owner Tom Roohan agreed with fire officials, saying the parking crunch was 'not a brand new issue.'
Deputy Mayor Alicia Wardell said Monday the city is researching possible funding sources to help combat parking problems and is fielding other possible downtown parking deck locations.
©The Saratogian 2004
Now I wish I didn't immediately pay this ticket. ¶ 1/27/2004 07:06:00 PM
