Council directs staff to return with options to reduce neighborhood disruption from construction parking

Council members used a workshop discussion on January 28 to press staff for stronger, clearer rules and better neighborhood notice when construction activity removes on‑street parking or uses public parking areas.

Councilmember (mover not specified) described examples where staging for large commercial projects and multiple simultaneous single‑family builds left residents with blocked streets and inaccessible trash and emergency service routes. “You go see an event and we couldn’t park anywhere because all the parking was taken up by construction crews,” she said when describing a commercial area near Oxford Exchange.

Abby Feeley, administrator for Development and Economic Opportunity, told council staff had surveyed peer cities and found that very large projects often provide formal parking plans but small residential jobs traditionally rely on the contractor’s foreman to manage on‑site staging. Feeley said recent steps include requiring parking plans for larger commercial and multi‑unit projects, and staff work with Mobility to consider single‑side parking requirements on narrow residential streets.

JC Hudgison, chief building official, said the city now ties required parking plans to a project’s permit set for large projects so staff can enforce the plan and issue warnings or stop‑work orders when crews block the right of way or stockpile materials on public property. For smaller single‑family construction, he said staff are emphasizing preconstruction coordination and inspections to reduce on‑street congestion.

Public commenters described months of disruption in neighborhoods where multiple houses were built simultaneously and called for simple notification to adjacent residents and homeowner associations. Sandy Didiergo Sanchez said one contractor parked in a resident’s driveway and refused to move, and that early warning about deliveries or concrete pours would have reduced conflicts. Steve Michelini, representing the Builders Association’s governmental affairs committee, said industry groups will help circulate courteous parking guidance; he later told staff his group will develop a courtesy notice builders can distribute.

Motion and direction: Council member Hirtak moved — and councilmember Carlson seconded — a motion directing staff to return with a written status report listing options the city could use to require or encourage contractor parking plans, neighborhood notice and other mitigation measures. Council set April 17, 2025, as the date for that written report. The motion passed without recorded roll‑call votes (voice vote: “aye”).

Why it matters: Disruptive construction parking affects emergency access, trash collection and everyday mobility in residential and mixed‑use neighborhoods. Requiring parking plans for projects and clearer neighborhood notice can reduce repeated complaints and improve enforcement.

What’s next: Staff will produce a written status report due April 17, 2025 summarizing potential code changes, administrative notice options, and enforcement steps (including where Mobility or right‑of‑way permitting is required).