I tend to agree with you bullcreek, but I'll take it a step further. I don't understand why there needs to be more regulations, especially with fees attached. I would greatly prefer a laissez faire approach to parking. If the parking spots in front of my house are taken, well then thats why I have a garage right? No sense making everyone else have to submit to some parking regulations and fees because I got too much crap in my garage to park in it.
Besides, the new urbanist design was meant to have filled street parking to isolate pedestrians (along with the trees) from the road way, but they also serve as a natural speed reducer when both sides of the street have cars parked on them. Not so good an idea to penalize this.
The more I think about it, the more I ask, 'what exactly is the problem we are trying to solve?' I don't want us to get into a situation where we have a solution without a problem. But if we must have *something*, then why can't we just issue (2?) street parking permits per house and be done with it. If a friend wants to visit, lend them one of your permits. If your mom has come into town to help care for you during your pregnancy, then lend her a permit and she can stay for as long as she needs. None of this 'register with Alliance' and pay $$$. Even better, say you're having your mom, aunt, and sister come and stay with you. But you only have two permits! Well *then* pay a fee and call alliance, or better yet, go to one of your friendly neighbors and ask to borrow one of their spare permits. Now that promotes neighborly behavior.
Next thing you know, we'll erect gates around lake park and the southwest greenway and only allow access to people with "permits". Then we'll be no better than a gated community. Or maybe I am allergic to the idea of paying outlandish fees for something I already pay taxes on. Where's my benadryl?!
I'll try to make the meeting on Wednesday if I can get off from work in a timely fashion.
Quote: I feel that we should default to city ordinances on this and other issues. This permit situation is just going to cost us all, in enforcement.
I emphatically agree with Kim.
I am also interested in the jurisdictional issues of parking at Mueller (private parking regulations of a public street). My understanding of CCRs is that they can only regulate the property they are recorded against. Were the CCRs recorded against the public streets in Mueller?
I agree with Mrs. Aaron. There is no need for any additional regulations -the city ordinance should suffice. I appreciate all the thought that went into the proposal, but my fear is that it is complicated to implement.
The streets are public property, while I think people should be 'neighborly' and considerate in their parking, we should also remember that people do not own the street in front of their house, it is public.
We should have the same rules as any other Central Austin neighborhood, which is the City of Austin ordinance.
I second LeComte's response. Give out two permits. Registering and paying fees makes our community sound, well, not really like a community any more but like somewhere the Stepford Wives live.
In my opinion, enforcing a "parking tax" policy across the entire community is a poor concept. Each neighbor is different and we all need to respect each other’s needs. If you do not want anyone parking in front of your house, you should be able to politely ask your neighbor to move their vehicle and not park there. If they refuse, you should be able to go to the POA and they should be able to enforce that no one park in front of your house. If another set of neighbors on the other side of the community are parking in front of each other’s houses and living in harmony, why should they be affected by your situation?
Isn’t that simple?? Why does it have to be more complicated than that?
I think I'd be happy and comply with any solution as long as on-street parking is allowed, the benefits of which were touched on by LaComte and can be read about in the book "Suburban Nation" written by the founders of the Congress of New Urbanism. Should be a required read for all Mueller Residents.
I suppose the simplest solution is the best. Let the city ordinances manage the situation and leave most problems to be worked out between neighbors.
Folks, take a look at the covenant we all signed when we purchased our homes. We agreed to park all of our vehicles in the garage and none on the street. Looking at my block this morning I found no open parking (legal) spots and three vehicles parked in the no parking zones - they will hinder emergency vechicle access if someone has an emergency.
