Princeton resident urges halt to new parking enforcement at McLean Street condos

Anna Lee Kelly, a McLean Street condo owner, told the Mayor and Council of Princeton on May 12 that residents of her building have long had two deed-assigned parking spaces but in the past year have faced new ticketing and new rules requiring nightly phone calls or online forms to park guests in those spots. “These hefty fees and additional hoops we’re now asked to jump through are unconscionable and do not align with our purchase agreement,” Kelly said. She said one guest — her elderly parents — received a $45 ticket on April 16 after parking in a space reserved in deed documents and requested either an immediate halt to the fines or that the township provide a second yearly tag at no cost to owners.

The mayor responded during the meeting that the township administrator or someone from his office would contact Kelly the next day to determine what needs to be done. Administrator Bernie Hozdovic was identified at the meeting as the official the mayor asked to follow up. The exchange occurred during the public comment period; no ordinance, fine reversal, or change in policy was enacted at the meeting.

Kelly described two kinds of spaces: one or more physically reserved spaces behind units marked by signs and a second space that historically used a township-issued annual permit. She said for roughly two decades those deed-assigned spaces were used without displaying a permit but that enforcement has recently changed, including a claim from an officer that owners must pay up to $300 for a second annual permit. Kelly asked the council for written assurance that the township would stop the recent fines and return to the prior practice of recognizing deed-assigned spaces without additional permits, or, alternatively, for a free second tag for each owner to use on guest vehicles.

Council members did not debate or vote on a policy at the meeting. Instead, the mayor directed a follow-up contact from the administrator’s office. No timetable or specific next steps were announced publicly beyond that promised contact. The record at the meeting does not specify whether the ticketing change resulted from a new ordinance, a police-department enforcement directive, or changes to permit administration.

Because the council did not take formal action at the meeting, residents seeking relief were told to expect an administrative follow-up rather than an immediate policy reversal. Kelly provided a written copy of her statement to the council during the meeting.