City Council may block parking, unloading on some streets

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city council members are considering an ordinance that would prohibit parking and unloading along certain city streets.

The ordinance, which amends Moses Lake Municipal Code 10.12, dubbed “Parking Regulations,” was brought to the council for discussion during Tuesday night’s council meeting. The amendment, if ultimately passed by the council, would prohibit parking and unloading on both sides of Knolls Vista Drive from Stratford Road to Northshore Drive, the north side of East Nelson Road from Division Street to Baker Street, and the south side of East Nelson Road from Division Street to Skyline Drive, according to city documents.

Preventing parking in the area of question on Knolls Vista Drive stems from a city safety project, in which a right-hand turn lane was added in lieu of unused parking a couple of years ago. When it comes to East Nelson Road, the prohibition will accommodate the addition of a right turn lane on East Nelson Road to help in the flow of traffic and make the intersection safer.

According to the city, the reconfiguration on Knolls Vista Drive does not affect nearby property owners and residential property owners near the proposed area on East Nelson Road do not have objections to the change. The proposed ordinance also addresses parking around roundabouts in the city. The ordinance would prohibit parking and unloading at all city roundabouts.

Answering a question posed by council member Mike Norman, Moses Lake Police Department Capt. Dave Sands and Moses Lake Fire Department Acting Fire Chief Brett Bastian stated they did not have objections to the proposed changes.

“Both of those roads in those specific areas, in talking to Capt. (Mike) Williams this morning, generally don’t have any parking anyway. People aren’t usually stopping there, there is really nothing around it for them to be there,” Sands said. “So from our standpoint we have no objection at all.”

Municipal Services Director Gary Harer noted West Lakeshore Drive and South Wanapum Drive may soon have to modified when the Colville Tribe’s new 11,000-square-foot building, which will include two different fueling locations, is built at the southwest corner of Wanapum Drive and Lakeshore Drive. There was no action taken on the ordinance at Tuesday night’s meeting and it will be brought back to the council at a future meeting for council action.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.