Parking stoush over cycle lanes
Palmerston North residents are up in arms at the prospect of losing on-street car parking for wider cycle lanes.
‘‘The word outrageous comes to mind,’’ said College St resident Nicole Michael.
‘‘We already have parking restrictions, and now the council wants us to have no parks at all.’’
Michael lives in one of the Savage Cres heritage zone houses fronting College St where rules restrict residents’ ability to build garages on the front lawn to create their own on-site parking.
An April 19 council letter alerted residents to proposed changes.
They were told cycling facilities would be improved from Maxwells Line to Albert St. Most of the way, parking would be restricted to one side of the street. But between Botanical Rd and Batt St, there would be none.
Resident Roy Le Quesne said he was annoyed with the abrupt communication that gave people only until May 10 to provide feedback.
‘‘I could not believe what I was reading.’’ He lives in a group of four townhouses that already have yellow lines on the street outside.
He said some elderly residents, and elderly visitors, already struggled to cover the distance from the parking that was available.
The reaction from residents has the city council scrambling for solutions. Mayor Grant Smith has stepped up as spokesman, and there will be a public meeting at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School on Tuesday at 7pm.