City Council votes on Parking Ordinance

In 2012 the City of Apopka adopted a parking ordinance that severely restricted on-street parking. There were limited exceptions, most notably special occasions such as birthdays, graduation, holidays, or other special events.

The Apopka City Council voted 5-0 yesterday to approve the First Reading of a new parking ordinance which will allow limited parking on neighborhood streets where there was none before. It was ultimately described as a compromise to free up parking options in older neighborhoods where it was difficult for residents with multiple cars to park legally.

"We are not going to write an ordinance that's going to meet the needs of every subdivision in Apopka," said APD Chief Michael McKinley, who presented the ordinance to the City Council. "But we've gone from zero to opening up some parking spaces in the neighborhoods...and all neighborhoods are going to be different. Some will be more challenging. But this opens up some spots. Does it address everyone's parking concerns? No, it does not. Is everyone happy? No, they are not. It does, however, allow citizens parking in places they currently cannot."

The ordinance is posted on the City's website. Use this link to download the ordinance.

The rules in the proposed ordinance parallel those establish by the Florida Statues. Use this link to look at those regulations.

Under the ordinance, on-street parking would be allowed but would be regulated. Some of those regulations would be:

1. An unobstructed width of 12 feet must be left for the free passage of other vehicles.
2. All parking must be with 12 inches of the edge of the pavement.
3. No parking on a curve if it obstructs the regular flow of traffic or disrupts the sight picture along the roadway.
4. No parking within 15 feet of a mailbox, except at night or days when mail is not delivered. You will be allowed to park in front of your own mailbox.
5. No parking that interferes with refuse removal.
6. No parking in any cul-de-sac.
7. No parking in or within 30 feet of an intersection.
8. No parking within 12 feet of a driveway or across from a driveway.
9. No parking in opposition of the lane of travel (left wheels to curb is prohibited).
10. No parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.

Parking on the street will be allowed only when parking in a driveway is not practicable.

It also contains a provision that would allow individual Home Owners Associations to ban on-street parking in their neighborhood.

Despite the challenge, McKinley was appreciative for the time and effort put in by the committee.

"I want to thank the committee for taking time out of their busy schedules to complete this task," he said. "I believe they did a great job in creating an ordinance that freed-up some of the parking while realizing it could not make everyone happy. They took their role seriously. They listened to the public, and they met their intended goals."

The members of the committee were:

• Jackie Sandler - Pines of Wekiva
• Dan Burrington - Piedmont Lakes
• Steve Coleman - Lake Todd Estates
• Gudrun “Goddy” Davis - Errol Estate
• Misha Corbett - Dream Lake Estates
• Mike Files - Rock Springs Ridge
• Marvin Guttman - Rock Springs Ridge

The Second Reading of the proposed Parking ordinance is scheduled to occur at the next City Council meeting on March 1, 2017. Should it be adobted at the March 1st meeting the new ordinance will take effect immediately.