Apparently, Dolores residents have been parking scofflaws since the mid-1980s.
Parking diagonally, or angled, to the street in residential neighborhoods has been the norm on and off for decades throughout town.
But at Monday's workshop, it was revealed by town attorney Mike Green that laws on the books actually require parallel parking in residential neighborhoods.
"I don't think it's ever been enforced, but right now the marshal could write tickets," he said "Angled parking has been tolerated since when I got here in 1987."
However town officials said angled parking is a problem for maintenance crews during grading and snow-removal operations.
"It's difficult for our road crews when vehicles are blocking their way," said Lana Hancock, interim town manager.
As a solution, the town proposed an ordinance that reaffirms the parallel parking rule in order to better accommodate street maintenance.
The proposed ordinance is part of an overall amendment to the Dolores Municipal Code to make it consistent with the Colorado Model Traffic Code adopted by the town.
"The model traffic code prefers parallel parking because it's safer," Green said. "You have to authorize angled."
Under the proposed ordinance, angled parking would continue to be authorized in certain downtown areas, but would still not be legally allowed anywhere else.
But the ban on angled parking did not sit well with some residents, business owners and board members.
They expressed concerns that the ordinance is too restrictive and would unfairly limit parking for churches, homes and businesses outside the downtown district.
Parallel parking "cuts down on parking from four spaces per house to two," said board member Ginger Black-Swope.
Green responded that "in reality, they never had the four spaces."
As a possible compromise, the board agreed to have Green reword the parking portion of the proposed ordinance so it states that it will be only be enforced with tickets during the winter months, from November to April, to accommodate for snowplowing and snow removal.
It was suggested that signs be posted on entrances to town reminding people to park parallel.
Hancock said the town is asking for the public's help by adjusting their parking habits from angled to parallel, or to park in driveways.
"It's not just during snow removal that we have problems," she said. "When the conditions are right for grading or fixing potholes, our crews take advantage but we have vehicles in the way and they cannot maneuver equipment around them."
The board will review the revised ordinance at the August meeting. It could be tabled for more discussion on solutions. If approved on second reading, a public hearing on the proposed ordinance will be postponed until September.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com
