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Residents oppose proposed no-parking restriction on Otis Street
Summary
Two Otis Street residents told the Sunbury City Council they oppose an ordinance that would prohibit parking on Otis Street, saying the change is unnecessary and would limit parking for visitors and family members of residents.
Two residents who live on Otis Street urged Sunbury City Council on May 7 to abandon a proposed no-parking restriction for the street.
Sam Paulin, a Sunbury resident who gave his address as 152 Otis Street, told the council he and neighbors are “not really in favor” of removing parking on the street and that the issue has not been a problem during his five years living there. “This has never been brought up, never been an issue, never been even considered,” Paulin said during public comment. He said a one-hour vehicle count he and his wife did during a high-traffic hour showed 103 cars on a nearby thoroughfare but only about 20 cars on Otis.
Brent (last name not provided), who said he lives at 151 Otis, also told council the street should remain open to parking. “I don't think there should be no parking on Otis Street,” he said, adding that only three houses face the road and two of those homeowners oppose the restriction. Brent said limiting parking would create difficulties for his “handicap parents” and for visitors, and he described repeated complaints from a single neighbor that he said were directed at his family.
The council has not taken final action on the measure. Ordinance 2025.16 is at second reading and would amend Sunbury codified ordinance 30.3.51.16 to prohibit parking along sections of Otis Street from Harrison Street to Sedgwick Avenue; no vote was recorded on the item at the May 7 meeting.
Council members and staff did not move forward with a final vote at the meeting. Councilmember Cooper and others acknowledged the public comments and said staff would track input; no direction to staff to adopt or rescind the ordinance was recorded.
Why it matters: The proposed restriction would change on-street parking availability for a small residential block in Sunbury and could affect residents who rely on curbside parking for visitors or family members with limited mobility.
Context and details: Paulin suggested nonregulatory alternatives including reduced speed limits (he recommended 20 mph) and pedestrian-warning signage rather than a parking ban; he also noted that Otis lacks sidewalks. Brent said that parking at the ends of the roadway near park entrances offers alternative options and characterized the complaints prompting the ordinance as originating from “one neighbor.” Neither resident reported systematic obstruction of emergency vehicles; both said they had not observed continuous parking that would block traffic. The council packet lists the ordinance on second reading, with a later meeting required for further action.
Next steps: The ordinance remains under consideration; the council will take up second-reading items at a subsequent meeting. The transcript does not show a formal vote on the Otis Street parking ordinance on May 7.
