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Maplewood resident raises safety concerns over student parking near high school; council to explore signage, permits and enforcement options
Summary
A Florence Avenue resident told the council that student parking near Maplewood High frequently blocks driveways and creates safety hazards. Council and staff discussed options including signage, one-side parking, resident permits, yellow-curb markings and targeted patrols by the school resource officer.
A longtime Florence Avenue resident urged the Maplewood City Council on May 13, 2025 to address repeated parking that blocks driveways near Maplewood High School, saying narrow one-way street parking by students is creating safety and access problems.
"Students usually park as long as I've been living this area... they park real close to the entrance. So preventing a lot of, you know, residents, you know, in and out," the resident, who identified himself as Austin, said. He described instances in which vehicles parked close to driveways forced residents to execute difficult or unsafe maneuvers.
Council members and staff discussed several possible responses. A council member observed that local law prohibits parking so close to a driveway that it blocks access and noted a three-foot clearance requirement for driveways. Staff described options including signage reminding drivers not to block driveways, marking yellow curbs, converting streets to permit-only parking (which could require adding neighboring streets to avoid displacement) or allowing parking on a single side of the street to improve maneuverability. The city manager said staff had directed the school resource officer to be available on select mornings to help with enforcement and that the city could test marking curb areas as a trial; the manager also said staff would discuss options with the director of public works.
Staff noted enforcement tradeoffs: a resident-parking permit program or expanded restricted zones would require sustained enforcement resources and could push parked cars onto nearby streets such as Earhart, Oakland or Lohmeier. The council also suggested the school reinforce student parking guidance and noted the city had offered the pool parking lot as an option for students. The resident said physical reminders and citations could be effective deterrents if consistently applied.
The council did not adopt a new ordinance at the May 13 meeting. The city manager said staff would consult public works and return with options; council members asked staff to evaluate feasibility, costs and enforcement implications before a future decision.
