Parking enforcement discussed at village meeting

At last Monday’s Village Council meeting, Sgt. Paul Cook of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) took time out from his quarterly report to Council to talk about ordinance enforcement in the village.

An ordinance is a local law enacted by a municipal authority (in this case, the Village of Manchester). The Village has a variety of ordinances relating to village administration, public works, traffic codes, public safety, business regulation, and land use. One of the more specific ordinances deals with parking in the downtown business district. A two-hour parking limit on Main and Adrian Streets, between M-52 and Clinton Street, was established a few years ago in response to concerns expressed by business owners and citizens. Signage is posted in the affected areas.

This measure was intended to keep parking places open throughout town for customers who may wish to shop or do business with the downtown merchants and offices such as attorneys, insurance, and banks. It was also intended to deter owners from taking up parking spaces in front of their businesses, as most have parking and entrances available in the rear.

Sgt. Cook reiterated, however, that due to deputies’ time constraints as well as a desire to make Manchester seem more welcoming to those who visit and may occasionally stay parked downtown more than the allotted two hours, the common practice is currently to enforce this particular ordinance primarily if there is a complaint lodged by a business or a citizen. Therefore, if you have a concern about a vehicle or vehicles that are chronically parked beyond the two-hour limit, it is best to make a complaint to the local WCSO Station 4 on the lower level of the village building (734-428-8829) or speak to a deputy in person if you see him or her downtown.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.