‘No Parking’ zones near new parking lot approved
New restrictions on Schwab Road, Moyer Road begin once lot complete
New parking restrictions on Moyer Road near a parking lot and ballfields are now officially on the books, but won’t go into effect for a few more weeks.
Hatfield’s commissioners voted unanimously to ban parking on several hundred feet of Schwab Road and Moyer Road, as work continues on a new parking lot expansion near Schweiker Park.
“This has been a long time needed, so this is a good thing,” said commissioners President Tom Zipfel.
Starting in fall 2017, Hatfield and Lansdale Borough began work to acquire a parcel directly adjacent to Schweiker Park, which both towns jointly own and maintain, to convert it into a new 32-space parking lot with a driveway entrance off of Moyer Road across from Schwab Road. The property acquisition was finalized over the winter, and the two municipalities have an option to acquire the remaining house there once the owner is ready to depart, but over the winter police and staff began hearing a concern from neighbors.
“Several of the residents in that location asked if we would consider designating a portion of that area as ‘No Parking,’ due to a lot of sight line issues,” said Township Manager Aaron Bibro.
Police Chief Bill Tierney met with residents in the neighborhood, and recommended in early April the board add several no-parking zones: roughly 570 total feet on the west side of Moyer Road, and roughly 540 feet on the east side, along with roughly 110 feet of restriction on Schwab Road starting at the turn onto Moyer.
“This is just creating a safer intersection at Moyer and Schwab for the residents,” Bibro said.
The board voted unanimously on April 25 to approve township ordinance 677, which puts the parking restrictions formally on the books, after fielding no public comment for or against the proposal.
Bibro said this week a wet spring has delayed work on the parking lot itself, but construction should be done “over the next few weeks, if the weather cooperates,” and the ‘No Parking’ signs will go up once the lot is finished.
Several other action items were approved by the commissioners on April 25, including purchases of a public works department dump truck and SUV, bid awards for fuel supplies and concrete ramp work, and a reimbursement resolution on funding for the North Penn DUI Task Force.
Hatfield’s commissioners next meet at 7:30 p.m. on May 9 at the township administration building, 1950 School Road.