HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-25 Public Comment - M. England - 2-hour limitFrom:Mike EnglandTo:Nicholas FockenCc:Taylor Lonsdale; Nicholas Ross; Benjamin Bailey; Terry Cunningham; Bozeman Public Comment; Chuck WinnSubject:[EXTERNAL]2-hour limitDate:Monday, May 19, 2025 7:51:27 PM
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Nic,
I completed a thorough review of all the parking signs along W. Mendenhall and adjacent side streets. The 2-hour parking restriction is not universal — some blocks have it, some don’t. Sometimes the restriction only extends for a portion of a block. Sometimes, one side of the street has it, while the other doesn’t. That continues across N. 7th, as you pointed out, away from the heart of downtown. Therefore, the determining factor is not geography.
The clear pattern —what is universal among all restricted areas within the commercial district — is proximity to occupied units. Places where customers are coming & going into buildings directly in front of the restricted areas. Not all of those areas have 2-hour restrictions, but there are no restricted areas that do not have open, occupied structures in front of them. Except the north side of the 200 block of W. Mendenhall, which did have an occupied business unit until its recent closure. In all cases, the restriction is for 9am-6pm — business hours, when customers are coming & going.
Given these facts, it is obvious what the 2-hour restriction is for in commercial areas: customer access. Calling it anything else is evasive and disingenuous. So it’s perfectly reasonable for you to use your discretion to refrain from ticketing in front of the Health Department, as long as the building remains closed. You said you could not be lenient for a large area — I don’t understand your reasoning, but you seem to have made up your mind on the matter. So I’ll ask for something smaller: one block, one side of the street.
If you’re still having trouble understanding how it can be acceptable to ignore the signs, then consider a school zone. It’s 15mph for one reason: there are kids present. But during spring break, Christmas break, and school holidays, there are no kids present. The signs stay up, but drivers are allowed to ignore them and drive 25, because under those circumstances, the signs are moot.
So too with the 2-hour restriction, which is to protect access for customers. If the building(s) in front of the sign is closed, there are no customers. So the signs are moot.
Also consider yellow curbs, which keep the street clear beside an intersection or entrance, to preserve drivers' field of view and allow safe, narrow turning. When said intersections or entrances are closed, the yellow curbs serve no purpose; therefore, the yellow paint is moot.
In all of these cases, city and county police do not ticket. They recognize the exceptions and judiciously honor the spirit of the law, not the letter. Your parking officers should follow suit and use that same logical reasoning in the discharge of their own duties, within their jurisdiction.
As for the new building at 5th & Main, the city is happy to close an entire block for them. The city is happy to let them obstruct the sidewalks. The city is happy to let their workers monopolize every parking space within a two-block radius. Your own department directly accommodates their needs — every day, there are trucks parked at the southeast corner of 5th and Mendenhall, in front of the yellow curb, that do not get ticketed. Because with a closed street, the yellow paint is moot. What’s the difference between that and a moot 2-hour restriction in front of a closed building? Why ticket for one and not the other? Why punish permanent local business owners and customers, and let temporarynonresident construction workers get off scot-free?
Please, Nic, try to show a little sympathy for we few, we unhappy few, the beleagured occupants near that Main St. monstrosity. We’ve been dealing with their encroachments and impositions for months now. Sure would be nice if the city showed a little of that “grace and compassion and empathy” that Mayor Cunningham asked of us, instead of coldly bringing down the hammer for every minor infraction, and then vigorously defending those callous hammer-drops.
Mike