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Commission tables decision on parking restrictions at Barton Avenue and Parkfield Drive
Summary
After resident complaints about sight lines when CityView residents park on nearby streets, the West Bend Traffic Safety Commission voted to table a proposal to remove additional on-street parking pending review of a 2020 study and new field data.
The West Bend City Traffic Safety Commission on Sept. 29 voted to table consideration of removing additional on-street parking at the intersection of Barton Avenue and Parkfield Drive pending further study and field observations.
Commissioners and staff said the issue dates to a 2020 recommendation that removed some parking spaces and added signs; this year the Department of Public Works painted hatch markings to clarify the no-parking area after residents and police officers reported continued sight-line problems. Residents told the commission that when the adjacent CityView apartment complex requires vehicles to be parked off-site — for snow removal or repaving — cars spill onto Barton Avenue and block sight lines for drivers emerging from Parkfield Drive.
The commission’s chair proposed revisiting the 2020 sight-distance study and collecting new field data before making any further parking restrictions. Commissioner Tom made a motion to table the matter; Commissioner Jim seconded it. The motion passed by voice vote.
Max (city staff) summarized prior actions: signs were installed in 2020, and DPW later painted a hatch area to mark no-parking zones more clearly. Mike Lechner, a resident of 324 Briar Drive, said the measures helped but were not sufficient when CityView’s tenants park on the street during snow removal or lot resurfacing. He asked the commission to consider removing additional spaces up to the first driveway (address cited as 2040) on the west side of Barton Avenue.
Dana Lechner, also at 324 Briar Drive, told commissioners that vehicles, especially large SUVs and rental trucks, frequently obstruct views and that snow on vehicles worsens visibility. Another resident, identified by staff as Linda Bledsoe on the corner of Parkfield and Barton, supported removing spaces but asked that at least one space be retained to allow delivery trucks access to her house.
Staff recommended returning to the 2020 intersection sight-distance data and collecting targeted new observations with a vehicle-based vantage point to reflect what drivers actually see when parked cars are present. Staff and commissioners emphasized that on-street parking is highly valued by residents and said they wanted to follow state and federal sight-distance standards in any change.
Next steps assigned at the meeting included: (1) staff will re-examine the August 2020 study and compare it to current conditions; (2) the city’s traffic consultant will be asked to gather additional field data (including counts and photos when street parking is present); and (3) the commission will provide neighborhood notification if a future proposal would remove specific spaces.
The motion to table passed by voice vote; no numerical roll call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Residents who offered evidence told staff they could provide photographs showing vehicles parked during winter and resurfacing events that block sight lines; staff said the consultant would request additional information if needed.
