Hopewell fire marshal recommends one-sided fire lane, limited parking changes for Bank Street

Ben Gomes, the city’s fire marshal, told the Hopewell City Council that a March 7, 2024, structure fire on the 1000 block of Bank Street exposed access problems for fire apparatus and prompted a staff review of parking and fire-lane needs.

Gomes said Bank Street’s curb-to-curb width is about 25.5 feet and that the city’s ladder truck is roughly 9 feet wide with outriggers; typical clearances on the block with parked cars measured 10 to 17 feet and do not reliably leave the space the department needs. “We are unable to park a fire truck in front of … the townhomes that are on Bank Street,” Gomes said.

The fire marshal and a cross-departmental committee recommended marking the left side of Bank Street as a fire lane with signage and towing enforcement and marking both sides of James Street (where Bank turns into James) as no-parking fire lanes. The committee also recommended a 30-day education/grace period before enforcement and said enforcement would be handled by the fire marshal’s office, the police department and code enforcement.

Gomes cited the National Fire Protection Association guidance for roadway widths and described operational options the department can use to work around narrow streets, including “short jacking” the Quint’s outriggers. He told council the immediate, low-cost step is striping and signage, which Public Works estimated at roughly $3,500. A larger engineering alternative — removing a sidewalk and reconfiguring the street for angled parking or a widened curb-to-curb — was estimated at roughly $300,000.

Vice Mayor Joyner and several councilors said they supported acting quickly. Joyner thanked staff for studying the site and said the March fire underscored the risk. Councilor Holloway and Councilor Ellis both urged prompt action; Holloway called the changes a “no-brainer” given the safety concern. Council did not take a formal roll-call vote on an ordinance but reached consensus to proceed with marking the lane and to have staff return with additional options.

The presentation included context about the block: the 1000 block of Bank Street contains 13 townhome units built about 1917 and additional single-family units. Gomes said Public Works had already estimated line-striping costs and that the fire department could designate fire lanes under the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code §503.7, which authorizes the fire code official to designate public and private fire lanes.

Next steps: staff will place markings and signage, begin a 30-day education period, and return to council with alternatives for adding parking or re-engineering the street — including cost estimates and potential impacts to on-street spaces.