People who live near Ridge Meadows Hospital or a popular pub or near a West Coast Express train station may have to get a residents’ parking permit if they don’t want to get crowded out by visitors using those services.
Maple Ridge council told staff Monday to devise a policy that will either create resident-only parking areas near the hospital and Port Haney train station so that only those who live in an area can park on certain streets.
Those residents would get permits or decals for their vehicles.
Another option is to limit parking to visitors in those areas to one or two hours, while those who live in the area would get “residential exemptions” and allowed longer parking hours.
Coun. Corisa Bell said she liked the first option and asked if the Albion area east of 240th Street should also have a residential parking permit system.
Parking causes neighbourhood disputes, she said, noting 101st Avenue as an example.
People also are concerned about home-based businesses taking up parking spaces.
The usual practice is for the municipality to write a policy, then residents in an area can ask to have that policy applied to their area, said public works manager Frank Quinn.
Commuter parking in Port Haney for the West Coast Express is another concern, said Coun. Bob Masse.
He didn’t want residents to have to pay for their permits, though, while Coun. Al Hogarth wanted to ensure enforcement wouldn’t add to district costs.
Coun. Mike Morden also worried about higher costs and suggested the district just put up signs informing people of parking restrictions for residents.
But that leads to spiteful calls from neighbours and also takes up staff time investigating, said bylaws director Liz Holitzky.
Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, White Rock, New Westminster, West Vancouver and Coquitlam all have resident-only parking policies.
Surrey does not, under the belief that all streets belong to all members of the public.
A draft policy should be on council’s desk by next month.