City sweeps aside decision -- for now

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- City staff on Thursday postponed until October a

decision on whether to prohibit parking on Darrell Street during street

sweeping days.

Peter Naghavi, transportation services manager for the city, said a

resident asked the city to prohibit parking to keep the Westside street

cleaner.

When the city surveyed residents’ opinions about the proposed

prohibition in June, half of the residents were in favor of it and half

were opposed, he said.

“Because of that, we’ve decided to hold off until the City Council

reconsiders the whole issue,” Naghavi said. “We’re trying to make sure

that whatever we do, we don’t impose too much of a parking problem on one

side of the street versus the other.”

Jeff Chapman, a Darrell Street resident, has written several letters

opposing the proposal, which would have prohibited parking on the south

side of the street on Tuesdays and the north side of the street on

Thursdays.

Chapman’s concern is that, because the rest of the neighborhood is

also swept on Tuesdays, residents on the south side of Darrell Street

would have nowhere to park.

“Darrell Street is the last street that is not parking prohibited so,

consequently, no parking spaces exist during street sweeping,” he wrote.

“Where did you expect the residents on the south side of Darrell Street

to park on Tuesday? . . . I am sorry, but this is not an acceptable

solution to the problem.”

Chapman suggests that the city alternate street sweeping days within

the neighborhood so residents would be able to find parking on other

streets while their streets are being swept.

But others on Darrell Street -- located just north of Wilson Street --

said they have no problem with the proposed prohibition.

“There’s not really a parking problem here,” said Chris Oliva, who

lives on the north side of the street. “Everything’s cool with parking.

We all pretty much try to stay on the driveway.”

Tami Jo Kistler, on the south side of the street, said she has no

problems with the proposal, either.

“It wouldn’t affect us because we park in the driveway,” she said.

“But it might affect some people who have five cars or whatever.”

The City Council is scheduled to consider prohibiting parking during

street sweeping throughout the city in October. If parking is prohibited,

the city will post signs stating the hours when parking is not allowed.

Naghavi said it makes sense for the staff to wait until the council

makes its decision and then reconsider the Darrell Street neighborhood,

if necessary.

“If the council decides to do citywide posting, the solution is

already there,” he said.

If the council chooses not to, the staff will consider changing the

entire tract’s street sweeping schedule so that at least one side of each

street is open for parking at any time, he said.