The Columbus City Council is walking a fine line with its new amendment to the city’s parking ordinance.
Last week, the council approved an amendment regarding parked vehicles, boats, trailers and recreational vehicles. It moves parking rules previously found in the city’s zoning ordinance into the municipal code.
The reason for the change, the council says, is simple. They are looking for more efficiency. They want to make things easier for Columbus Police Department and code enforcement.
The amendment certainly seems to do that. With the way things were set up prior to the amendment, the city had to endure a two- or three-month process involving the Board of Zoning Appeals before they could do anything about a parking violation that was found in the zoning ordinance. That was a big, unnecessary hassle.
Instead of waiting months, the city can now act immediately. That’s a significant change. It’s also a cause for some concern.
Property owners have raised concerns over the fact that the amendment allows for instant code enforcement and fines for something occurring on private property. Vehicles cannot be parked in residential front yards. Unlicensed and inoperable vehicles on a property make the landowner subject to a fine of up to $250.
This is a very valid, very real concern, especially when it comes to RVs, as many of the regulations in the ordinance deal specifically with them. It also raises some questions.
The lone vote against the amendment came from District 2 Councilwoman Elaine Wagner, who questioned why a well-maintained RV parked in a driveway, that wasn’t blocking the sidewalk or affecting sight lines for the streets, would be grounds for a fine. The ordinance requires that RVs be parked behind or next to a permanent structure and cannot be in the driveway or anywhere in front of a home long-term.
She’s concerned about dictating what people do on their private property. She has a point. But that part of the ordinance, the original intent, hasn’t changed despite the amendment. Those rules have already been in place — the amendment just gives the city a quicker path to enforcement.
Mary Ferdon, the city’s executive director of administration and community development, said that fines are always a last resort. The amendment isn’t about money, according to Ferdon — it’s about solving problems in a timely fashion.
We’re all for efficiency and problem-solving. But whether or not the parking amendment is a good or bad thing remains to be seen and ultimately hinges on the amount of fines handed out and the amount of time saved.
