Walton board moves to limit parking on narrow stretch of Saint John Street after residents raise safety worries

The Walton Village Board moved to pursue a no-parking restriction on parts of Saint John Street after multiple residents said parked vehicles and a parked RV obstruct sightlines and create safety hazards.

At the start of a public hearing introduced by the presiding trustee (speaker 1), neighbors described repeated incidents in which parked cars blocked driveways and made it difficult to see oncoming traffic. Resident Davis Mason (speaker 2) said the road is narrow and that drivers often back into the street because they cannot see past parked vehicles. Tom Madison (speaker 3) added that a manhole cover sits roughly five inches below the road surface and that parked vehicles at corners and near stop signs compound the danger for larger vehicles and trailers.

Board members discussed an existing draft local law that would ban parking on both sides of the street from Main Street to Burke and noted it could be amended to ban parking on only one side if needed. The presiding trustee said the board would inspect the location and follow up; neighbors expressed a preference for no parking on both sides to avoid creating new blind spots for drivers.

The board characterized the next steps as an on-site inspection followed by a formal amendment and public notice if it moves forward. The presiding trustee said staff would review the plan and the village would finalize the details after that inspection.

The hearing record does not show a final, recorded roll-call tally for a formal ordinance vote; board members indicated support for pursuing the restriction and committed to inspection and follow-up before any regulation takes effect.