Council OKs second reading of right-of-way parking ban

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to ban parking in the right of way during its meeting Monday night.

The right of way refers to the patch of ground between the street and sidewalk. The city is seeking to ban parking there for a number of reasons, one of which is that water and sewer lines are often buried below the right-of-way, so freeing it of vehicles would make utility repairs easier.

Another reason is that parked cars in the right-of-way can obstruct the line of sight at intersections, creating a safety hazard.

The council also wants to make the town look nicer and more inviting, and council members believe parked cars in the right of way look unpleasant.

Council member Michael Halley suggested that the council amend the proposed ordinance before its third reading. He said the city needs to give propertyowners a chance to make alternative parking arrangements before enforcing a ban on right-of-way parking. He said it's not reasonable to expect people to pay a few thousand dollars to pave a driveway in the midst of a pandemic and economic recession.

He suggested passing the ordinance, with the caveat that it not be enforced until the city has created a permitting process for people who wish to park in the right of way.

The council announced it was increasing the number of sites under consideration for a new fire station from four to five. City staff met with architectural firm Klingner and Associates to discuss the feasibility of the five sites, which include: remodeling the existing fire station on North Second Street, the former Department of Transportation building on West Briggs Avenue the city purchased earlier this summer, an empty lot south of the Jefferson County Law Center, the corner of North Fourth Street and Lowe Avenue near the Depot Brewery, and the recently added site under consideration, the old helipad site east of SunnyBrook Living Care Center.

Klingner and Associates will study the drive times from each site to various locations in town, and the costs and benefits of constructing a station there. Klingner would present its findings to the council in November.

The council learned that the DOT has approved the preliminary drawings for the reconstruction of South Highway 1, which will turn a portion of the street on the south side of Fairfield from two-lane to three-lane and add a roundabout at the intersection with Libertyville Road. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the decline in travel and resultant drop in fuel tax revenue, the DOT has delayed the project one year. Construction is not expected to commence until 2023 instead of 2022 as originally planned.

In other news, the council approved the city's fireworks display for Labor Day weekend at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. The display will commence at dusk on Saturday, Sept. 5.