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Goldendale council weighs removing on‑street parking on Broadway amid safety concerns
Summary
The Goldendale City Council discussed a Public Works recommendation to remove or restrict on‑street parking on parts of West Broadway to improve sight lines and safety. Council members agreed to seek input from the Washington State Department of Transportation and hold public hearings before any final decision.
Steve Johnson, a member of the council's Public Works committee, told the council the committee’s recommendation is to pursue removing on‑street parking on parts of West Broadway because of sight‑line and safety problems. “We, discussed primarily the parking on, West Bridal,” Johnson said, reporting a consensus to pursue no parking in the most problematic segments and to draft a memo to the Washington State Department of Transportation outlining the city’s concerns and goals.
Other council members and residents raised immediate concerns about the practical effects of a full parking ban. One member warned that eliminating all parking could leave nearby apartment residents without any reasonable place to park and urged alternatives such as removing parking on one side only or creating off‑street parking. “I don't agree with taking all the parking away,” one council member said, adding that some households rely on curbside parking as their only option.
Officials noted the limits of local authority: parts of the corridor fall under WSDOT jurisdiction, so the committee recommended preparing a formal memo and seeking the state’s cooperation before moving forward. The council also discussed potential mitigation measures, including cutting curbs to create new parking strips and encouraging use of an underutilized downtown lot a block from the apartments.
Several members emphasized community outreach. Theon (a council participant) said the city should ensure every resident in affected apartment complexes and adjacent homes understands the proposal and its safety rationale before the council moves forward. “We have to do these community outreach meetings to really find out what it is they are thinking or feeling about,” Theon said.
Council members agreed to schedule public hearings and to continue work on a draft memo to send to WSDOT. No formal motion to change parking regulations was made at the July 15 meeting; council members framed the item as a committee recommendation and a topic for further public engagement.
Next steps: staff will draft a memo to the Washington State Department of Transportation, arrange public hearings, and return to the council with options after outreach and state coordination.
