Resident says new street-parking rule creates access problems for van users; city assigns police contact

A Pembroke Pines resident told the City Commission on Jan. 15 that a new city ordinance taking effect Jan. 1, 2025, barring parking on non‑paved swales and gravel is creating accessibility problems for people who use vans with ramps.

Al Salvi, a resident of the Silver Lakes community, told commissioners that the ordinance "says that your most vehicles now cannot park on non paved roads. There can't be no gravel, no swell," and that the rule forces some ramp‑equipped vans to unload into the street. "If we drop the ramp in the middle of the street," Salvi said, "we're gonna be right in the middle of the street. We can get hit by a car or people will just get pissed off because they're just watching us come out of the car. So it's really frustrating to us."

Why it matters: Salvi said people who use ramps and power chairs need a minimum clearance — he described needing "an 8 foot clearance" plus additional space to turn — and that forbidding parking in swales or gravel can make safe exits impossible. He also said Silver Lakes' HOA enforces a blanket "no street parking" rule that, combined with the ordinance, prevents visiting vehicles with ramps from parking near his home. Salvi cited a statutory reference in his remarks — "316 on the Florida statute of 1964" — in arguing for an exception for people with disabilities.

What the commission did: Mayor Castillo asked the police department to assign a contact to work with Salvi. "Deputy Chief Bermudez will be your contact on this parking issue and we want to get our arms around it," the mayor said. City staff did not propose a formal ordinance change during the meeting. The exchange resulted in a staff assignment rather than a vote.

Discussion details and next steps: Commissioners acknowledged the accessibility concern and the mayor asked city staff and the police department to follow up. Salvi told commissioners he had already raised the issue with his HOA master board. The commission did not ask staff to begin a formal code amendment at the meeting; instead staff were directed to work with the resident and the police department to explore practical responses and report back.

Community context: The problem described affects residents who rely on wheelchair‑accessible vans or ramps and may be concentrated where HOAs or local enforcement apply stricter rules than the citywide ordinance. The city will determine whether administrative guidance, enforcement adjustments, or an amendment are appropriate after staff follows up with Deputy Chief Bermudez and the resident.

Ending: The mayor and staff said they would connect Salvi to the police deputy and review options; no change to the ordinance was proposed or adopted at the Jan. 15 meeting.