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Council hears calls to prioritize Oak Street parking upgrades after crowded event limited emergency access
Summary
Council members and staff said Oak Street parking near the city park needs engineering and funding work to prevent blocked emergency access during large events; council was told an engineering phase is underway and staff said they will follow up with updates and consider budget prioritization.
Several council members urged the Milton City Council on Aug. 4 to prioritize parking changes on Oak Street that would improve emergency vehicle access and support larger events at the city park. Council members said recent events produced bumper-to-bumper parking on Oak Street and adjacent cross streets, compressing the roadway and potentially restricting fire and emergency vehicle movement.
Council member Whelan urged action, saying the parking configuration during a recent event "created a situation for parking where fire and emergency vehicles will have a hard time utilizing Oak Street and Thirteenth And Twelfth," and argued the city should move more quickly from planning to construction. Whelan asked that the work be treated as a near-term priority so park events do not create a public-safety risk.
City staff told council the Oak Street project is in the engineering phase; Director Madden (staff) said he would confirm the schedule and send council an email update. Council members discussed designs such as angled parking and noted that removing an old building and reconfiguring right-of-way could add spaces. Planning Manager Stahlnecker answered questions about park-field irrigation and use, and staff said they have discussed using the upper field for event parking on specific occasions but need to preserve space for children's activities.
Council members asked staff to identify funding for the Oak Street improvements in the next budget cycle and to provide clear project timelines. No formal motion or vote was taken; the topic arose during council reports and discussion.
(Reporting note: engineering status and funding timeline were reported by staff during council reports; council requested follow-up confirmation.)
