Laserfiche WebLink
Jessica Loftus <br /> Subject: FW: New"No Parking" Restrictions on Bayview Place adjacent to Shadywood <br /> -----Original Message----- <br /> From: Jack Reily <jackreilY@gmail.com> <br /> To: Imcmillan <Imcmillan(c�ci.orono.mn.us>; kanderson <kanderson(c�ci.orono.mn.us>; cbremer <br /> <cbremer(a�ci.orono.mn.us>; clevang <ctevang�a�aol.com>; aprintup <a�rintup(c�ci.orono.mn.us> <br /> Cc: borgk <borqk(c�westonka.k12.mn.us> <br /> Sent: Thu, Aug 1, 2013 11:31 am <br /> Subject: New"No Parking" Restrictions on Bayview Place adjacent to Shadywood <br /> Dear Mayor and Members of the Orono City Council: <br /> I am writing to complain that the city council's action in its 7/22/2013 meeting, wherein it declared the <br /> informal parking on Bayview Place at Shadywood Road to be official "No Parking", did not adequately <br /> allow for the needs of those Orono citizens who use the area as a school bus stop for the Westonka <br /> School District. <br /> fn particular. <br /> 1. First be clear that I support the neighborhood request that the area needs to be dectared "No Parking" <br /> for other uses such as trail use and other general purposes. I agree with the issues of neighborhood <br /> safety and nuisance. <br /> 2. On two occasions during the discussion, the pofice representative specifically stood up and <br /> addressed the council to inform them that if they declared the area to be a simple "No Parking", <br /> then there could be no exceptions, no allowance for parents or others even stopping to let <br /> children wait for the school bus or for picking them up in the afternoon. "No parking on the road for <br /> 5 minutes to stand with a child, no waiting in a car, running or not" was the police official's general <br /> warning. No council member expressed concern even though the neighborhood resident stated he had <br /> no objections to carving out an exception for school bus needs. <br /> 3. There was a short suggestion that signage allow for school bus waiting. No further discussion on this <br /> idea occurred and no mention was given in the city council approved motion or instructions to staff <br /> regarding this. <br /> 4. Of all the government organizations involved in this decision, and neighbors contacted, etc., I heard no <br /> mention of or representation from the Westonka School District or the parents of students who use that <br /> bus stop. Thus having taken my granddaughter to this bus stop every school day for 3 years now, I know <br /> that almost all the students and parents come from either Shadywood Rd, Togo Road, Crystal Bay Road, <br /> Olive Lane, and even Livingston Place. There was never any notice of these discussions or pending <br /> action given to the affected parents that I know of, even though it appears there have been several years <br /> of discussion by Orono around the topic and its implications. <br /> 5. There are about 7 - 10 elementary students alone who use that stop each day and probably similar <br /> numbers for Grandview/Westonka High School ( a separate bus run). The school district would have a <br /> list of those families who should have been notified and involved in this discussion. Why was there no <br /> contact? <br /> 6. Given that there is no parking on Shadywood and no parking on Crystal Bay Road, there is now no <br /> place for parents to wait with or for their children on the east side of Shadywood, which is where the bus <br /> stop is. You are forcing us to either park in the municipal lot and walk the two blocks on the road with <br /> children (which even the Three Rivers Park official stated was undesirable), or park on the steep hill on <br /> Crystal Place ( which the police official stated was undesirable) and cross Shadywood with children in <br /> morning and afternoon traffic, or walk from our homes (1/4 mile in my case) with children on Shadywood <br /> i <br />