We live on one of the streets bordering the North Street playground. For the last few years, it has become a dumping ground for business trailers, equipment and trucks not being used by their owners. So off hours and weekends they sit on our city street. It's a classic NIMBY (not in my back yard) argument that is literally IMBY (in my back yard)! True, streets are public thoroughfares. Parking is allowed, but is leaving an unattended trailer etc. on a city street for days on end really "parking"? It certainly seems more like "storage". One trailer has had a flat tire and literally not moved in 6 months!
The issue essentially is whether it's proper for city business owners to store their unused business assets on city streets? Presumably these same business (trailer) owners lack adequate space, if they even own storefronts, to store their equipment so they scatter them throughout neighborhoods, forcing residents to pick up the slack. It seems like a left handed way of getting out of paying real estate taxes on property where this equipment should actually be stored. I can also attest that in summer, when children's programs are in effect, parents have to drive around a bit to find a parking spot amid all the business trailers and equipment not being used on any given day. I sent my concerns to the mayor's email account but heard nothing, it's probably not his concern. Maybe if the trailers were parked near his home or some city council members, it might draw more attention? (Yes I am joking!) Maybe the city can figure out how to make more revenue by selling a special type of permit for this stuff and requiring they be parked overnight on city owned lots. Opportunity knocks. Cha-ching! Don't forget those real estate $$ taxes we're missing out on! We might need more revenue to pay for those retirement bonuses I've been reading about...again, joking!...
