BANGOR, Maine — The City Council approved Monday new parking restrictions that prohibit motorists from parking too close to driveways, despite objections from one councilor that the ordinance would only be enforced in cherry-picked areas of the city.
Before casting her dissenting vote, Councilor Patricia Blanchette told the council she was tired of passing ordinances that are “directed at just certain neighborhoods and other than that they’re not enforced.”
“I could go through the city ordinances and probably pick out 20 that have never been acted on,” she said.
“This has all the little footprints of being only enforced in what people perceive to be troubled areas, but we don’t write ordinances exclusively for troubled areas,” she said.
Councilor Pauline Civiello, who sponsored the ordinance as chairwoman of the council’s Government Operations Committee, said it would give police guidance on what constitutes a violation, making enforcement easier.
“State and city laws prevent the actual blocking of driveways but do not adequately address visibility and maneuvering issues,” she read in a statement introducing the ordinance, which takes effect immediately.
She said after the meeting that enforcement would be complaint driven.
“If I don’t have a problem, I’m not going to be calling, and neither will police be stopping to say you’re parked too close,” she said.
The ordinance bans parking within 10 feet of the centerline of any driveway citywide in order to provide better maneuvering and visibility.
It also allows police to have towed any vehicle that is physically preventing vehicles from accessing a driveway.
The proposal originated with city staff after several residents lodged complaints within the past two years.
There have been several complaints about vehicles parking too close within the past two years, according to Assistant City Solicitor Paul Nicklas.
During a meeting in February, Derek Mitchell, a member of the city’s Board of Appeals and a resident of French Street, told the Government Operations Committee that parking has been an ongoing issue there.
In large part, he said, that’s due to students from nearby John Bapst Memorial High School parking on the street.
Blanchette cast the only dissenting vote. Councilor Ben Sprague was absent from the meeting.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter @evanbelanger.