First of all, Council Member Hickman should be applauded for the significant time he has put into researching and addressing this issue.
There is unanimous agreement among Cedar St. residents that there has been an increase in parking on Cedar St. in the past year since the commercial gate at Brighton Gardens began being opened during the day. However, there is not consensus among residents that the proposed ordinance was the preferred solution.
The proposed ordinance did not address the root of the issue, instead it would merely force parking to one side of the street and make it even harder for residents to park near their home. I was not in favor of implementing the ordinance as a temporary or permanent solution, which is why I voted for Council Member Nathan’s motion to give the residents the time necessary to meet and discuss what solution is preferred. Working towards a private solution (Brighton increasing its parking spaces on site, or contracting with 1 of the 2 next door churches for shared parking, additional solutions privately negotiated) instead of enacting restrictions on the residents is preferred.
We learned during meeting that (1) Brighton Gardens is not in violation of their special use permit or other agreement with the city, (2) Brighton Gardens has told city staff that they are wiling to address the issue, and (3) the additional parking needs are a result of Brighon needing more staff due to its increased provision of hospice-type care to its residents (as opposed to just independent/assisted living).
On a related matter, I look forward to learning from city staff if in fact the residence on Cedar being used commercially is being utilized for purely commercial purposes (as alleged), and whether this has added to the recent increased traffic and parking.
NEWS ARTICLES ON CEDAR PARKING
Cedar Street Parking Prohibition Postponed Again (Instantnews Bellaire)
Bellaire parking issue goes back to the drawing board (Houston Chronicle)
Tags: Cedar Street Parking