Posts are in the ground for new “No Parking” signs in neighborhoods around Hutchinson High School, but residents of at least one street are already asking they be taken out.
At its Nov. 12 meeting, Hutchinson City Council approved parking restrictions during school hours on several streets to deter HHS students from parking. The action was taken in part because of several complaints from residents who said services such as mail, garbage, leaf vacuuming and snow plowing were disrupted by students parking on the street.
The city also conducted a resident survey regarding the matter and found the most common response was to restrict parking during school days from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It found that 54 percent of residents were in favor of those restrictions, while only 29 percent were in favor of no restrictions.
At this past Tuesday’s meeting, however, the issue was brought up again as council members have now heard from residents who are concerned about not being able to park on the street in front of their homes during the restricted hours.
“I have had some other people comment on the restriction, and they have multiple cars,” Council Member Steve Cook said. “I just think we need to think of a way to allow residents to have the ability to park on the street so we aren’t penalizing them. This whole thing is focused on the student parking.”
Residents on Kay Street Southwest went as far as presenting the council with a signed petition to remove the parking restrictions. That petition was signed by 80 percent of residents north of Roberts Road Southwest, and 40 percent of residents south of Roberts Road.
Patty Roach, a resident on Kay Street who led the petition, asked for the council to reconsider the parking restrictions and give a little more time to see if the issue fixes itself.
“Many of those streets have been crowded because of the school construction, and they’ve been dwindling as the kids are more aware of the parking lot,” Roach said. “We never had this problem three years ago because everyone parked in the parking lot. I’m just wondering if we have more time, if it would just resolve itself.”
Regarding Council Member Cook’s idea of giving residents permits to allow them to park on the street, Roach liked the idea but said there were still issues.
“I think parking permits is a good possibility,” she said, “but we’re also limited for garage sales. We have a lot of shift workers who are switching cars in the driveway. We have a guy with a trailer who has to park on the street. These are just people who live on the street.
“I would rather have everyone free to park on my street than I can’t park there,” Roach added, “or my kids can’t park there during the day.”
In the end, the council decided to table the issue for its next meeting and have a discussion with Hutchison Police Chief Dan Hatten regarding parking permits for residents, and the possibility of lifting parking restrictions during certain times of the year for garage sale days.
“Maybe there are options for those weekends that, through an action of the council … we could potentially lift the no parking (restrictions) during certain times of the year,” City Administrator Matt Jaunich said. “Those are options, but I think that’s a better conversation to have with those who are going to be enforcing it, and that’s the police department and police chief in particular.”
