Traffic Control Device -1117 Roosevelt St.

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South Bend’s mobility parking permit ordinance appears to have two components. Section 20-111 is the general mobility parking provision from which the residential parking program appears to have been derived, while Section 20-113 and 20-113.1 apply to permits granted to disabled employees to allow parking close to their place of employment. South Bend Municipal Code Section 20-113.1 (3), in restricting disabled parking permits to a total of two per street side, implicitly acknowledges that such street parking must also accommodate the needs and convenience of customers, public visitors, other employees, and the employer itself. In residential districts (including the block of 1100 South Roosevelt), the streets generally provide two parking spaces per home structure, and depending on the location of the block, are generally used solely by residents and their guests. In providing a permit to a disabled person, other residents should not be particularly affected. However, to assure that persons who are not truly mobility challenged do not obtain special parking place permits simply for convenience and not true need, the City may wish to consider guidelines restricting its voluntary residential parking permit program to persons whose doctors certify that they must regularly use a walker, cane, wheelchair or other assistive devices or who can demonstrate through a doctor’s letter that the individual cannot walk more than one block without serious health risk. The permit should be issued only to persons with valid drivers’ licenses and should terminate when the license is not renewed. It should also continue to be restricted to persons whose homes do not have a garage, driveway, or cement pads for parking (whether or not there is a garage or carport). Rear parking availability on a street-accessible alley might also be a limiting factor on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should also know that the permit is personal to the disabled person and their vehicle, not for the benefit of a family member, friends, or others. 2.Application of Law to Facts. The uneven numbered side of the 1100 block of South Roosevelt Street has a total of nine single family homes and street parking that will accommodate 18 vehicles. This is also true of the even side of South Roosevelt Street. Presently there are two disabled parking permits on the uneven side of the street, and one disabled parking permit on the even side of the street. Granting this permit will result in three disabled permits on the uneven side of the block, but 15 parking spaces on that side will be unaffected. The applicant’s disabling condition is consistent with the disability of other persons who have been granted disability parking permits by the City to date. Although the applicant’s medical letter was vague, the applicant indicated in a conversation with Staff that due to a certain health condition they walk slowly, become easily fatigued, and must use a walker from time to time. Because this condition is consistent with permits issued to date (although more restrictive criteria may be applied prospectively), this permit should be granted.