Brookfield is considering adding more restrictions on street parking in order to make it easier for fire, police and public works vehicles to navigate Brookfield streets and do their job.
When trucks and SUV’s are parked on both sides of a side street it can make it impossible for fire trucks or snowplows to squeeze through said Trustee Catherine Colgrass Edwards. Village staff is suggesting that parking should be allowed only on one side of the street and that there be no parking on streets when it snows more than three inches or on street sweeping days.
The village board decided Monday night to refer the issue to the public safety committee which will hold public meetings to gather public suggestions as to how to deal with the problem.
“I think this is going to really need some public input,” said Brookfield Village President Michael Garvey.
Currently parking is allowed on both sides of streets in Brookfield 24 hours a day with additional restrictions only on street sweeping days. Currently residents can park only on one side of the street on snow emergency days.
“The existing regulations have proven to be an impediment to public safety response times and access, snow removal, and street sweeping,” said the memo to the village board prepared by Brookfield Village Manager Ricardo Ginex, Assistant Village Manager Keith Sbiral and Superintendent of Public Works Al Kitzer.
Colgrass Edwards said that most Brookfield streets are 24 feet wide.
“The typical truck is eight feet wide,” Colgrass Edwards said. She also said that Brookfield fire trucks are 9-feet 10-inches wide. That means if two pickup trucks are parked parallel to each other on different sides of a side street a fire truck cannot squeeze through.
“We have to do something,” said Trustee Yvonne Prause. “I don’t understand how residents aren’t screaming about it because their house would burn down.”
Trustee Brian Oberhauser suggested that the village charge a fee for an overnight street parking permit.
“I would suggest as one option to consider an additional sticker that would charge for overnight on street parking,” Oberhauser said. “A small fee at the beginning might be enough to convince some residents that it’s worth their while to keep their car in their garage if they have a spot and that might be enough to reduce congestion on the streets.” Oberhauser said that the staff recommendations could be an undue burden on residents.
Some areas of Brookfield do not have driveways or garages so a complete ban on overnight parking, as some communities have, is not really possible in Brookfield.
Garvey said that it is important for village residents to come out to the meetings of the public safety committee and express their views about how to best solve this problem.
“I’m begging the residents to come out for this one and really give us some input,” Garvey said.
The public safety committee will hold special meetings to gather public input and then report back to the village board.