Residential Parking Permits Proposed for Two Phoenixville Streets

Without discussion on the topic Tuesday night, Phoenixville Borough Council moved an ordinance forward that would establish residential parking areas on Church and Hall streets.

Council voted unanimously to advertise the ordinance and hold a public hearing on it at its Nov. 1 meeting. The proposed ordinance would establish residential parking permit areas on Church and Hall streets between Main and Bridge streets.

Parking in those blocks would require a residential parking permit between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Those without permits would be limited to two-hour parking.

Each vehicle of a resident or eligible employee must have a separate application for permit and will be subject to a fee “to be applied to the cost of administering the residential permit parking program.” No more than two residential permits will be issued per residential unit, and no more than one permit would be issued to a proprietor of a business in the affected area if the ordinance passes as drafted.

The cost of the various permits would be determined and added to the borough’s master fee schedule. In committee meetings, a fee of $15 was discussed.

Temporary permits will also be issued, with a fee to be determined and the following stipulations if the ordinance passes as written:

• Contractors working in the residential parking zone are only permitted to park there between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. No more than two contractor permits will be issued per property.
• Visitor parking permits will be available for residents’ guest. Those are valid for up to 14 days. No more than two will be issued per residence.
• No more than two parking permits for eligible employees will be issued per business.

The ordinance was reviewed by the ad-hoc parking steering committee, and members there added some feedback. In committee discussions, Borough Manager Jean Krack said if the ordinance passes, he hoped to have it in place by year’s end so borough officials have enough time to make residents aware of the potential changes.

If passed, this would be the first ordinance under the currnet parking structure that deals with residential permits for street parking in the borough.

There's currently a permit system in place for residents and employees for downtown municipal lots. The borough offers 160 spots in the lots on a first-come, first-served basis for $10 per month for three of the borough's four muncipal lots.

The proposed ordinance is attached to this article and will also be available on the borough’s website.

A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for council's Nov. 1 meeting in at 7 p.m.