Ephrata rejects parking ordinance

State requested change

EPHRATA - The Ephrata City Council decided to reject making a new ordinance forbidding auto dealers to park on the street.

The city received a letter from the Washington State Department of Transportation, asking the city to revise their code. The code states any licensed and bonded automobile dealer can display one vehicle with advertising indicating it is for sale in front of their business.

Jennene Ring, a regional traffic and maintenance engineer, stated this has led to private sellers leaving their cars near the automobile dealer's cars.

"Our maintenance forces often need to direct vehicle owners to remove vehicles that are for sale from the highway (Basin Street)," Ring stated. "Allowing some vehicles that are for sale to be parked on the right of way seems to encourage others to do the same. We feel that it would be easier to enforce parking rules along the state highway if they applied consistently to all vehicles."

Ephrata controls the parking laws along Basin Street within the city limits.

City Administrator Wes Crago said the department of transportation plows, paints and does other general maintenance on the road. He said he received a different e-mail stating there were some issues with people looking at the cars for sale along the road.

"I got the impression after talking with (Ring) in Wenatchee that it's an issue in multiple communities," he said. "It seemed to be that they were trying to address this in other communities besides just Ephrata."

Mayor Chris Jacobson said he didn't think the city should interfere with the businesses along the Basin Street.

"I think we should of just written (Ring) a letter, thanking her for her concern about cars parking along Basin Street, but get over it," he said. "I personally bought four to six cars sitting along Basin Street in front of Barry's Chevrolet … I think it's an important advertising tool and in a time of economic downturn, I don't think it's the time to be taking away that tool."

Jacobson said the cars parked in front of the dealerships aren't the problem, and if they were asked the dealers would move the cars.

"Those other people that park on Basin Street with the 'for sale' signs are a problem everywhere in the city of Ephrata," he said. "Even up in the residential areas where we can't get old or out-dated cars and boats and everything else off the street. So to pick on these guys down here is ridiculous."

Councilmember Bruce Reim said too many laws create too many problems and this would be an unnecessary law.

"I don't see it as a big problem," he said.

Councilmember Ben Davis said he also didn't see automobile dealers parking a car on the street as an issue.

"Here's a case where they're only out there during business hours," he said. "They really are attended at all times. If (the department) needed to paint a line or something all they need to do is holler and that thing would be out of there in a few minutes. I don't think it affects their maintenance at all."