Council approves traffic control order banning on-street parking at Edison Court cul-de-sac; resident warns of lost spaces

The Sterling Heights City Council approved, on the consent agenda, a traffic control order that prohibits on-street parking at any time on the west side of Edison Court and around the cul-de-sac.

The nut graf: The measure—Traffic Control Order 6-808—was bundled into the consent agenda and approved without discussion as a routine safety and access action; a resident asked the council to monitor parking demand and consider additional parking if the new restriction fills nearby lots.

During the public comment period, resident Yvonne Niaz raised concerns about the restriction. She told the council that before the street was redesigned residents often parked on both sides of the road and on the cul-de-sac, and she urged the city to provide "way more parking." "If you're not going to have a parking lot, you've got to allow parking on both sides," Niaz said.

Assistant City Manager Dale Duajakowski and staff explained the order was written with public safety in mind. Duajakowski said the prior condition of the road had allowed haphazard parking that impeded emergency access; the fire department uses Edison Court as a primary access point for some emergency runs and the redesigned road includes designated parallel parking on the east side but must keep the cul-de-sac clear for emergency vehicles.

Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to monitor parking at the redeveloped street during the coming season and evaluate supplemental parking options if demand remains high; no immediate change to the traffic control order was made at the meeting.