Pullman pastor asks council to pause enforcement of lawn‑parking rules on game days

During the non‑agenda public comment period, Matthew McNally, pastor of Pullman Presbyterian Church, asked the council to pause enforcement of the city’s lawn‑parking ordinance for WSU football game days while the council develops a formal process to permit temporary lawn parking for special events.

McNally said the church has long used its property for game‑day parking and that city staff had not previously enforced the ordinance regarding lawn parking for a small number of game‑day Saturdays. He told council that after a recent email raised the issue, church and city staff discussed options and that there is no existing city process for temporary permission to park on private lawns for events. He asked council to pause enforcement for the current football season and consider creating a written process similar to the city’s noise variance procedure.

Quote: “I am requesting a temporary pause of enforcement of the city ordinance regarding lawn parking for WSU football games this season until council has had time to craft a parking solution for special occasions that benefits the whole city,” McNally said.

Council reaction

Council member Weller thanked McNally for bringing the concern forward and said the city should consider how to proceed; he acknowledged prior instances where groups had been fined and expressed willingness to work on options. Council members noted parking on grass has been permitted around some city events (for example, the Lentil Festival and Fourth of July) and asked staff to consider a formalized process.

Ending: McNally’s request received council attention but no immediate action; councilmembers asked staff to review the matter and return with options that could include a special‑event lawn‑parking permit process.