Washington to update accessible parking spots

WASHINGTON — The city of Washington plans to update its ordinance governing parking spaces reserved for people with mobility issues. The old version of the code reserved several spots that were unmarked on streets, and omitted others that did have signage.

Washington Police Chief Jim Lester said the updates were a “longtime work in progress,” starting in 2023 with former City Council Member Bethany Glinsmann and former City Administrator Deanna McCusker.

“We’re finally in a position to either approve (changes) or leave it the way it is,” he said. “There are several spots in the current language of the code that do not exist. And there are several spots listed that are not marked in a manner that would allow them to be enforced … this cleans that up considerably.”

The proposed new ordinance adds a net total of four parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities.

In anonymized written comments sent to city officials, downtown business owners said they had no complaints about the proposed new reservations for parking stalls. Still, the support wasn’t quite universal.

“I really don’t want any more handicap parking spaces,” wrote one person. “They are the ones that are always empty. Adding more will just take parking away from other customers, and parking is already so limited … it’s not that I lack empathy, I just don’t think we need it.”

The proposed ordinance change got a unanimous affirmative vote in its first reading on June 4.

Unrelated to the ordinance changes, the city currently has some spaces that are painted with blue parking markers, but lack any signage listing the fine for violations. Lester said those spots were unenforceable at the moment, but that municipal staff were already ordering new signs for those spots.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com