Middletown Mulling Street Parking Passes for Contractors

MIDDLETOWN, RI—The Middletown Town Council passed the first-reading of a proposed ordinance to empower contractors to park their work vehicles on streets with parking restrictions by buying an annual permit.

The proposed change to the town's parking regulations is intended to give homeowners a break from contractors' parking on their lawns and in front of their houses while doing work on nearby houses.

According to Middletown Town Solicitor Peter Regan, eligible contractors would pay $25 per vehicle per year for the right to park on sections of the street where normally parking is not allowed. Ideally, they would buy the permit and not pull up on neighbors' lawns.

"So they can park from here to China?" Councilwoman Theresa Santos asked.

The answer: with a permit, yes.

Questions were raised about whether there should be a limit on the number of trucks allowed on a job and whether it should be restricted. They did, however, approve the proposed ordinance after a first reading. That means the ordinance change has not yet gone into effect and will be up for a second reading, which could include amendments.

According to the text proposed ordinance reviewed by the council on Monday, a commercial vehicle would qualify if owned by a business holding a Rhode Island contractor's license. The vehicle must be used for construction activities at a particular address for a particular customer with the job site address "clearly displayed on the vehicles' dashboard."

The permit would be valid every day except Sunday and only from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The ordinance also states that any vehicle with a permit must be moved if requested by the police and fire departments, building official or zoning officer "in the course of their duties."

Photo: Patch file photo.