NORTH WILDWOOD – A North Wildwood resident raised a question at the Aug. 1 City Council meeting regarding unused off-street handicapped parking.
North Wildwood has an ordinance that provides for a handicapped parking space in front of a person’s home if they meet the criteria. According to the resident, some people with a handicapped parking space also have a driveway, and they will park their personal vehicle in the driveway, while the handicapped space is unavailable to the general public.
He said in one case, a resident had been staying at her daughter’s home and her car was parked in the driveway, and a vacant, unused and apparently unneeded parking space sits in front of her house. The issue was raised at a time when parking spaces are at a premium with the high influx of summer visitors. The resident said one of his neighbors is putting in a garage, which is creating a curb cut, further reducing the available on-street parking.
Mayor Patrick Rosenello said he thought the intention of the ordinance was to provide on-street handicapped parking where there was no off-street parking. Police Chief John Stevenson said if there was a curb cut for a driveway, there should be no off-street handicapped spot. Stevenson said his department tries to keep track of handicapped spaces in front of residences and will clear them out if the resident no longer lives there.
Section 418-16.2 of the municipal code creates restricting parking zones, as permitted under state statute, for vehicles owned by handicapped persons. They are required to display the handicapped parking placard or have the wheelchair symbol license plates.
The North Wildwood Police Department (NWPD) oversees the assignment/creation of the restricted parking spaces and maintains a list of the spaces in town. The NWPD is required to conduct “an annual survey of existing restricted parking zones to ascertain the continued eligibility of each zone.”
“Every year, we clear out spots,” Stevenson said.
Capt. Katherine Madden responded for the NWPD, saying the department will investigate any complaints related to a dedicated handicapped parking space.
“If someone has a complaint, the chief goes out personally,” she said. “The same if someone applies for a space.”
Madden said, as a result of the citizen’s complaint at the last council meeting, one of the spaces on East 19th Avenue was removed. Madden said if people are parking on grass in front of their house, that is not considered off-street parking and is, in fact, not permitted.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
