Traffic Ordinance Draws Criticism at Public Hearing

Concerns over the village's traffic and vehicles ordinance dominated a public hearing at the Dexter Village Council's regular meeting on Monday.

The council held the public hearing after trustees discovered that parts of the ordinance passed in 2002 were accidentally omitted.

One of the omitted items included language that prohibited on-street parking on curbed roads. The ordinance states, “No person shall drive upon, park or stand any vehicle between the curb and the lot line nearest the street, such area being commonly known as the lawn extension.  This only applies to areas where curbs are in place.”

Village resident Maryellen Miller, who lives on Forest Street, said she was concerned about the ordinance's language.

“Those of us who live in areas of the old village have single car driveways and garages.  Is it really necessary for all the shuffling of cars in a house with three or four people in it just so our village looks nice?" she asked.

Trustee Paul Cousins, who lives on the same street as Miller, argued, “To me this (ordinance) is in conflict of the acknowledged Road and Right of Way Policy.”

The council narrowly passed its policy with a 4-3 vote on March 13. The policy gives a framework for future road projects in the village.

Village President Shawn Keough clarified that the ordinance is not in violation of the Road and Right of Way policy. As the policy reads right now, residents may park on graveled areas between the road and the yard.

"The policy was not meant to take away parking.  It is a starting point (for projects)," Keough said.

Resident Eric Bombery, a member of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study committee e-mailed several concerns to the council addressing the omitted ordinance items. Bombery said having an ordinance preventing vehicles parking on curbed streets between the hours of 2-6 a.m. doesn't make sense.

“It is unreasonable how the ordinance is written right now.  Cars parked on the street create a safer environment.  They show that people are home and they slow down traffic," he said.

Keough admitted that part of the reason for the public hearing was because the ordinance was originally written in 2002 when the only curbed streets in the village were downtown. Many of the subdivisions that the ordinance would affect did not exist in 2002.

After addressing concerns brought up by other residents, including one requesting a set clearing distance near driveways and alleys, the council agreed to host another public hearing during a future meeting.

Council members will revise the ordinance and present it to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department to make sure it can be adequetely enforced before setting the next public hearing.