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Council amends Butcher Street parking: removes restrictions in one segment, maintains no‑parking where pavement is narrow
Summary
An ordinance changing no‑parking zones on Butcher Street passed after staff recommended removing school‑day restrictions where pavement width is adequate and maintaining all‑hours no‑parking where the roadway is too narrow for safe two‑side parking and through traffic.
The City Council approved an ordinance May 12 to adjust no‑parking zones on Butcher Street after a staff review of pavement widths, driveway density and school drop‑off patterns.
Why it matters: The change affects a local, mostly residential street that serves Carl Schurz Elementary School and nearby multifamily units. Staff said the amendment corrects signage that was installed after an earlier audit and better aligns restrictions with actual pavement widths so that emergency and through traffic maintain the required clearance.
Assistant City Engineer Carly Farmer told council the city’s ordinance requires at least 10 feet of clear roadway for free movement of vehicular traffic and that typical residential streets are designed for a 30‑foot pavement section (eight feet of parking on each side and 14 feet of travel lane). Farmer said sections of Butcher between Magazine and Gunther measure at least 28 feet and could safely accommodate on‑street parking; between Gunther and Business 35 the pavement is narrower (roughly 25–27 feet) and staff recommended continuing all‑hours no‑parking there. The Transportation and Traffic Advisory Board unanimously recommended the staff proposal.
Farmer recommended removing the school‑day no‑parking restrictions on the wider stretch near the school while maintaining all‑hours restrictions on the narrower segment. She described the city’s relevant ordinance language: “No person shall park any vehicle upon a street other than an alley in such a manner or under such conditions as to leave available less than 10 feet of the width of the roadway for free movement of vehicular traffic.”
Council voted to adopt the ordinance. The changes restore parking on the wider segment of Butcher between Magazine and Gunther and preserve no‑parking rules where the pavement does not provide the minimum maneuvering width.
Ending: Staff said the adjustments correct inconsistently signed restrictions and were intended to improve safety and functional access on the street.
