Some people will go to pretty severe lengths to get people to stop parking on their street and in front of their homes.
Like committing fraud.
Kerry contacted me after reading my series of columns on Burnaby parking wars to tell me about what one of his neighbours did to him earlier this year.
Kerry went to his vehicle and found a “warning letter’’ telling him that his vehicle would be towed away if he didn’t move it. The letter was on City of Burnaby letterhead and looked pretty official.
“So I contacted the city about this and was told that the letter was actually a fake,” Kerry said. “That’s not the type of warning that people received. So it was one of my neighbours who always bitches at me about parking too close to her house. I don’t have any choice. The place I live in doesn’t offer any parking on the property and I get force the issue because it’s an illegal suite and I don’t want to possibly lose my housing. I mean stop this insanity and just let people who don’t have options park on the street. I don’t know why renters have to get punished like this.”
Is the answer to offer more residential permits so that people can pay a fee and then not have to worry about parking on the street?
Some people, like David T, think so.
“First of all, I agree that the City of Burnaby should implement the cash grab that is residential permit parking for locals that have parking issues,” he wrote. “I don't know that this will solve his problem entirely, but it would at least prevent folks that are using the streets as a park and ride for transit. So, take it up with the city … “Street parking is a resource that should be available to all residents. If he doesn't get to park in the driveway of the place he is renting, that is no one else's problem but his.”
Back in 2019, Burnaby city council approved a parking permit pilot project in Brentwood, where many residents have complained about non-residents parking on their streets, and directed staff to plan a citywide permit system.
“Increasing densification within the city is creating increased demand for on-street parking. This demand often spills into single-family neighbourhoods, causing congestion and conflicts,” said a city report.
The city planned to introduce the new permits on Brentlawn Drive and Graveley Street just north of Brentwood Town Centre, which have “experienced persistent parking problems with all-day parking from commuters and employees of neighbouring businesses,” the report said.
So the city planned to issue $40 annual permits to residents upon request. It will then restrict some portion of both streets to “permit only” zones either at all times or during specific times of day.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
