Guelph-Eramosa councillors chose to defer approval of a county-wide parking bylaw amendment largely due to its ambiguity.
Wellington County enforces a shared parking bylaw in all county municipalities, explained acting clerk Amanda Knight at the Feb. 6 council meeting.
“The amendments that are being suggested are minor in nature and they essentially address concerns with regard to parking on boulevards,” Knight said.
“So what’s being proposed is a delete and replace definition of boulevard, the addition of a definition of shoulder and the addition of an offense of parking a vehicle on a boulevard.” It will also be an offense to park on the shoulder.
A boulevard will be defined as “the portion of the road allowance which is not used as a sidewalk, driveway, traveled roadway or shoulder and includes any area where grass is growing or is seeded or where earth surface exists,” Knight’s report to council states.
All other county municipalities have approved the amendment, but it didn’t sit well with Guelph-Eramosa councillors.
“The way I read it, we’re essentially banning parking everywhere in the township,” councillor Corey Woods said, adding he appreciates clarity.
“If you want to ban parking everywhere in the township, come to us and say ‘let’s ban parking everywhere in the township.’”
Councillor Louise Marshall added, “I was thinking if we were to pass this we’d have to be opening parking lots all over the township for people to park.”
Mayor Chris White said he didn’t agree with the amendment if it means “it’s illegal to park on a boulevard.”
Knight explained it was her understanding the bylaw was directed specifically at subdivisions, where residents are parking on the grassed boulevards in front of their houses.
White suggested there should be a schedule that states where there are parking bans.
The way the bylaw is written, police officers that do not know the complete details of the bylaw could be inclined to ticket at every boulevard, White added.
Knight suggested bringing a county representative to talk about the bylaw with council at a strategic planning committee meeting.
“We work well with the county … this is an unintended consequence,” White said. “They think they’re solving something that might be legitimate, but it will cause us untold difficulties, so let’s do that.”
Council deferred discussion to a future strategic planning meeting.
