Ephrata looks at parking signs
Vehicles are parked along Division Street in front of the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce
EPHRATA — Ephrata is moving forward with plans to place signs in the downtown area asking people to leave street parking open for customers.
Volunteers at the Alabaster Box brought their concerns to the city, after placing a draft pamphlet on the windshield of a vehicle parked in front of the store.
EPHRATA — Ephrata is moving forward with plans to place signs in the downtown area asking people to leave street parking open for customers.
Volunteers at the Alabaster Box brought their concerns to the city, after placing a draft pamphlet on the windshield of a vehicle parked in front of the store. The PUD employee, who left the vehicle there, came back and pointed to the Ephrata city code prohibiting leaving handbills.
One of the suggestions to come from a public forum with the volunteers was placing “customer parking only” signs in the downtown area.
City Administrator Wes Crago presented three examples to the city council at a recent meeting. He said no company offers exactly what the city is looking for, but it is possible to have the signs custom made.
One of the signs included a two-hour parking suggestion, another was written in green and black and the third was only black.
“The cost is about $17 a sign, give or take how many we order,” he said. “Obviously we can come up with anything you want. Simple is good, in general.”
Councilmember Heidi Schultheis asked if there were enough spots for employees of downtown businesses to park.
“We have, in the downtown area, 580 parking spaces and that is Third (Avenue Southwest) to Third (Avenue Northwest) and Alder (Street) to C (Street), and over half of them are non-street parking,” Crago said. “Those are just public spaces, it doesn’t include private lots.”
If the city used the signs with the two-hour suggestion, would there be enforcement, Schultheis questioned.
Crago said the community and past councils haven’t wanted enforcement, so the limit would only be a suggestion.
“My recommendation would be not to enforce it at this time,” Schultheis said. “Maybe we should start with just customer parking only ... If we continue to have a problem we can put some additional ones that say two-hour parking.”
Councilmember Bruce Reim agreed with Schultheis, saying the two-hour suggestion would cause more problems if it wasn’t enforced.
Councilmember Stephanie Knitter liked the two-hour limit, even if it wasn’t enforced, because it looked more official.
Councilmember Ben Davis agreed with Reim and Schultheis, saying he supported trying something, but doubted how effective it would be.
“I still say for that selfish, lazy, uncaring bonehead that knows that there are regulations against it, I’m not sure you’re going to reach him, unless we go back to regulation,” he said. “On the other hand should we do that, because of a few lazy, boneheaded, uncaring people?”
Schultheis hopes the signs will raise awareness of the area employers, so the signs and employers are working together to cut the amount of people leaving their vehicles in front of area businesses.
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