Council Introduces Reeds Court Parking Prohibition Ordinance

At Tuesday night's Galloway Township Council meeting, Councilman Bryan Tyrrell said that sometimes the cars are "three or four deep" during the school year on Reeds Court.

Mayor Don Purdy agreed, saying that he's seen the road so clogged with students parking to get to that if an emergency vehicle needed to turn around on the road it "would never happen."

A proposed parking ordinance, which would prohibit parking on Reeds Court during certain times and would allow only for residential passes, would, according to the council, fix that problem for residents on Reeds Court.

John Mooney, sitting in on his , expressed some concerns about the parking permits.

"In my experience I've seen where these parking permits become a currency and they're traded for whatever kids in high school trade things for," he said.

But he was not opposed to the measure.

"I'm willing to vote in the affirmative on first reading," he said. "I trust the chief [of police] will have a handle on what's going on there, to ensure we don't create any more of a headache than it already is."

Chief Patrick Moran was also at the meeting, and reaffirmed the department's suggestion of five parking permits per family, because "most families have five members and it does not cost them anything."

Township Manager Arch Liston also explained that residents of Reeds Court should not be concerned when they plan to have more guests, because the ordinance will allow for discretion. He used the example of residents planning to have 18 people over for a party, saying that they would need to just call the police to let them know.

Councilman Jim Gorman said that this resolution addresses the concerns that some of the residents of Reeds Court have been expressing.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Coppola suggested reaching out to the residents of Reeds Court to let them know of the plan.

The first reading passed unanimously on Tuesday night, and a public hearing and second reading on the matter will take place at the next scheduled Township Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11.

The Sept. 11 meeting was originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m. but the time was moved because of a 9/11 ceremony to be held at 7 p.m. that evening.