STAFF REPORT

October 28, 1999

To: York Community Council

From: City Clerk

Subject: Poll Results: Proposal to Implement On-street Permit Parking on Rectory Road, Between Weston Road and Coulter Avenue

Ward 27, York Humber

Purpose:

To show results of a poll conducted of residents on Rectory Road, regarding a proposal to implement on-street permit parking.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

None.

Recommendation:

For the consideration and direction of York Community Council.

Background:

Clause No. 8 (t) embodied in Report No. 6 of the York Community Council

York Community Council, at its meeting held on May 26, 1999 directed that the City Clerk conduct a poll of residents on Rectory Rd. to determine majority interest in the implementation of on-street permit parking.

Comments:

The following is a breakdown of the poll results, based on the number of replies returned:

Total No. Polled: 31

No. of Replies Received: 15 or 48%

No. of Replies In Favour: 4 or 27%

No. of Replies Not In Favour 11 or 73%

The following is an overall breakdown of responses, according to resident owners, non-resident owners and tenants:

Conclusion:

As noted above, the majority of residents, based on the responses received, are not in favour of the proposal to implement on-street permit parking on Rectory Road.

Contact:

Valerie D'Alessandro

Committee Secretary

394-2522

394-2803 (fax)

for Novina Wong

City Clerk

List of Attachments:

Comments from residents are attached hereto.

Attachment No. 1

Comments from Residents:

In Favour:

(a) After careful thought, I deem that this is the best solution to the garbage I pick up after visits to apartment buildings, such as used condoms, dirty baby diapers and used disposable needles occasionally. I bought this house approximately five years ago (corner lot, Rectory and Coulter) and called the police once re the noise (car alarms) and garbage on Coulter side and was told by a very nice officer that there was basically nothing I could do since parking was permitted during certain hours and days. I never called again, realizing that our police have better things to do and that the police would not be back in the three-hour allotted time limit to ticket. Permit parking may promote better policing and road maintenance (snow removal/plowing) in the future.

(b) I agree that a resident without a driveway should have access to a spot to park in front of their residence if at all possible.

(c) People from other places park on Rectory for weeks at a time, leaving me to scramble for parking on other streets. I tried a permit for Holley, but it was often parked up with people from the church there.

Having a permit to park in front of my own house would be a Godsend!

(d) I am currently paying $82.39 per year for street parking on Holley Avenue, which is not near my home. It would be only appropriate as a homeowner and taxpayer to be allowed to park in front of my own home.

Not in Favour:

(a) Lack of parking space when having a guest, especially in winter when they're not clearing the road.

(b) Far too many children within the area to have cars parked on the roads. Road/street parking eliminates emergency access. Most homes currently have a driveway

(c) Because most (if not all) of the people who live on Rectory Rd. have their private parking (driveways or otherwise), the prospective car parkers would likely come from outside the immediate neighbourhood. We don't want them to come and park here as this may jeopardize our security and safety.

(d) We were very surprised to find out that a petition is not now recognized by our local government. We as residents of Rectory Road discussed the issue of "on-street parking" without our fellow neighbours when we received the first letter dated August 17, 1999. We then decided amongst ourselves to put together a petition voicing our concerns re "on-street parking".

It is also interesting that you have our signatures on the petition that was submitted; however, on this form that we are required to fill out you do not require a signature.

(e) I am very happy with the way things are.

(f) Every house on Rectory has a driveway with adequate parking, except three houses on a short block between Coulter and Windal. Maybe the five residents on this stretch should be polled separately. Also, there are no driveways on the west side of this stretch to be hindered when the snow falls. Thank you for your consideration.

(g) With only three houses that don't have parking driveways, only people living on Weston Rd. would want passes. With robberies on the increase it would bring a lot of people onto the street that don't live here. Snow removal is always slow here and with cars parked at night it would be worse.

(h) Parking on street is bad enough now with the church two doors away. Snow removal is impossible now.

(i) Rectory Road is an unusually narrow street with no grassy boulevards. Snow banks make Rectory safe for one vehicle at a time only as the only place to pile the snow is on the road. Cars park day and night in contravention of the current maximum duration signs. As a result, the street in front of my house is never cleaned. On-street permit parking would only make the problems worse.