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City attorney: parking strip at 102 W Oneida is public right of way; resident urges clearer nuisance codes
Summary
City Attorney Lyle Fuller said the strip east of 102 West Oneida is city driveway/right-of-way and cannot be claimed by squatter's rights; resident Helen Jensen disputed the prior explanation and urged the council to revise Preston’s nuisance codes.
Attorney Lyle Fuller told the council that research by city attorneys found the small strip immediately east of 102 West Oneida is a city driveway and public right of way, and that long-term parking there does not create ownership by private parties. "You can’t have 'squatter’s rights' against a governmental entity," Fuller said, arguing the practical approach is to treat the parked cars as a grandfathered, legal non‑conforming use because of limited alternatives.
Helen Jensen disputed the comments reported from an earlier meeting and urged the council to revise Preston’s nuisance codes, saying they are too general and could be applied inconsistently. Attorneys Lyle Fuller and Ethan Rawlings had described the strip as public property after reviewing records; the council did not take immediate action to change the code during the meeting.
