The College Station City Council held a public meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30 to discuss potential overnight parking regulations in the Southside and Eastgate residential neighborhoods.
The council sought feedback from students and community members on the topic, inviting all to partake in an open survey, which will close tomorrow.
Assistant City Manager Jennifer Prochazka opened the meeting with a quick presentation to introduce the topic of discussion.
Over the past six months, the city has received an increase in requests to take action against congested street parking in residential neighborhoods near campus, Prochazka said. Parked cars often block driveways, cause issues with bikers and trash collection and cause obstruction to emergency vehicles and general traffic flow, according to Prochazka.
“At this time the city is not proposing anything specific,” Prochazka said. “… We want y’all’s feedback to help determine what would work in these neighborhoods.”
Prochazka said the city’s primary goal is to create safer streets in these neighborhoods, which they plan to accomplish by reducing the amount of permanent parking available, particularly overnight parking.
After Prochazka’s explanation of the safety concerns and considerations at hand, the meeting was adjourned and transitioned into breakout sessions at different tables around the room.
Students and permanent residents engaged with city officials, asking questions relevant to each table station. Table topics included zoning maps, current parking regulations, code enforcement, overnight parking, development regulations among others.
Many students attended the council meeting, including Student Body President Carter Mallory, who previously made an appearance before the Student Senate on Sept. 17 urging senators to attend the public meeting.
“This is more of a mixed issue between college students and full time community members, which is why the student input is so necessary to have here … just trying to have as many voices represented as possible so we get an accurate description of the desires of everybody that’s living in the area,” Mallory said.
Mallory voiced concern for student safety amidst the proposed overnight parking regulations, arguing that students who are spending the night off campus may end up in unsafe conditions while driving late at night to avoid a citation or getting towed.
As a student living just a few blocks off campus, political science senior Ainsleigh Broadwell said she is concerned about the city’s proposal, worrying that students living in residential neighborhoods would be negatively impacted by the new overnight parking rules.
“I am not in favor of an overnight parking ban based on my previous experiences living in the Southside neighborhood,” Broadwell said. “I can see how this will directly impact students’ ability to live in the houses if they can’t have a car there and I think it will be a barrier to affordable housing.”
One compromise between residents and students that gained traction during the meeting was the idea of designated parking permits allowed specifically to residents.
“I personally think that would be a great solution to where if you are a legal tenant or legally residing in a home that you should be able to park near your house within the neighborhood,” Broadwell said.
Broadwell understood the concern from residents, but said the parking issue was a reality of living in a college town.
“I can see how local residents can be frustrated with this, how there are a bunch of cars on the street, but I think that comes with being in close proximity to a university and students ultimately needing their cars,” Broadwell said.
Several permanent residents attended the meeting as well, including former council member Linda Harvell, who said the city was moving in the right direction.
“I live five blocks from Kyle Field, so I live these parking challenges, and I think that we have to stay resident friendly,” Harvell said. “… What we have is so many people coming into the neighborhoods so they can walk over to campus, and that completely, you know, messes up the parking.”
Harvell said she is not in support of paid parking, and believes that resident permits would be the most productive and satisfactory option. She also supported the idea of allowing visitors to park during predetermined timeframes to satisfy guests while also preventing overnight congestion and safety concerns.
While the public council meeting offered attendees an opportunity to ask questions and access the survey, there will not be a public hearing on the proposal until Thursday, Oct. 23, when the item will be on the council’s agenda. The public is welcome and invited to attend the hearing and voice their concerns to the city council.
