No parking zones added on Geddes, Jennings, Good route

There will be no on-street parking along Jennings, Geddes and Good Avenues.

Whitefish City Council on May 5 voted unanimously to approve no parking along those streets along with no-parking zones along portions of West Sixth Street, West Fifth Street and West Third Street. In addition, council approved creating a section along Good Avenue as a 30-minute loading zone to support the needs of Power Sports West.

Mayor John Mulhfeld said the issue came down to the city living up to its own road standards.

“When you have substandard road widths, we typically assign those as no parking or one side as no parking,” Mulhfeld said. “We have information that says parking on the street will be a problem.”

Public works director John Wilson recommended the change to ensure safe passage for traffic and emergency vehicles, along with allowing for more efficient snow removal.

The issue first came up at the April 21 meeting. After hearing from one resident who asked to keep some sections of the route open for parking, council directed staff to return with a proposal that would add parking on one side.

However, council reversed course last week after hearing more information.

Mark Van Nyhuis, who lives on Geddes, presented council with his measurements of the streets, which he said at certain points are as narrow as 20 feet. The city’s minimum asphalt width for streets with no on-street parking is 20 feet.

“The problem is the streets are just not wide enough,” Van Nyhuis said. “I would appreciate if you would just say no parking.”

Van Nyhuis said he has personally seen an ambulance forced to back down the street because of parked cars. He also noted difficulty plowing the street because of parked cars.

Fire Chief Tom Kennelly said he supports no parking on either side of the street.

“If we do have an incident on that street we need the full width,” he said.

The city reconstructed the road and utilities along the streets that run between Baker Avenue and West Second Street during the summer of 2012 and 2013. The public right of way is narrow along the route and the new roadway includes curb and gutter where none existed before, making the street too narrow for on-street parking, according to the public works department.