HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - letter from Gail and Elgin Johnston in opposition to ordinance July 7, 1989
To members of the city council :
The petition regarding parking on Van Buren Street implies
everyone affected by the proposal agrees with it . This is not
the case. Our house is located at 1606 24th St . Although the
address is on 24th St . , our house faces Van Buren, our front
door is on Van Buren, and our drive way is on Van Buren ( see the
attached photo and plat map ) . We have several reservations about
this proposal .
1 ) We do not have a garage, and adding one does not seem feasible
(We hired an architect to draw up a proposal , talked with the
appraiser at the bank , and talked with a contractor ; they all
agree that because of the slope, the age of the house and zoning
restrictions , a garage would be difficult to fit the site ) .
Therefore our only off street parking is for our two cars.
Since the signers all have 2-3 car garages and additional parking
for 2-6 cars in their drive, they are not inconvenienced by this
proposal .
If the proposed parking restriction is enacted , any company would
have to park four houses down the street-if they were lucky
enough to find the space ! We feel this would be a great
inconvenience-especially given Iowa winters !
2 ) There are many residential streets in Ames that curve and drop
in elevation ( Buchanan, Brookridge, Coolidge and Fillmore are a
few) . Some of these streets have parking restricted to one side;
most have no restrictions . These streets seem busier than Van
Buren.
3) We agree cars and children are not a safe combination. We
believe the solution is teaching children to be careful . We have
four children ages 3-14, and have lived in this house for 12
years.
We feel we have been able to teach our children safe habits .
Both the school crossing guard and the supervising policeman
parked their cars daily in the proposed no parking area; they
apparently felt this did not constitute an undue hazard .
4) We question whether eliminating parking would eliminate the
hazard ; we feel if cars had a "clear shot" at the corner ,
speeding would increase.
5) This petition does not represent the people most affected by
it ; ourselves and the renters in. 2322 and 2324 Van Buren.
In conclusion, we would like to see the parking remain as it is.
WE- Would not be opposed to restricting parking on the east side
of the street , especially if this were combined with increased
police efforts to monitor speeding , especially 3:00-5:30, when
the high school is getting out .
We have put over $35,000 into improving our property since
purchasing it in 1978. We are now planning landscaping and
outside improvements. This proposal would greatly reduce the
utility of our home. I feel needlessly.
We would encourage you to drive by the corner and see the
situation; we will be at the city council meeting Tuesday night .
We would also be willing to respond to any questions before
Tuesday (232-8544 ) .
Thank you for your attention to this matter .
'14-�/ V
Gail and Elgi Johnston
1606 24th St .
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