Parking in prohibited locations has become a growing concern for Greenwood, says Mayor Carolyn McAdams.
She said one problem is tractor-trailer trucks parking in residential neighborhoods. Another is cars parking in yards.
Both, she said, violate city ordinances.
“We’re just trying to enforce the ordinances as written,” she said.
The ordinance prohibiting cars parking in yards reads, “No vehicle shall be parked or stored in a front or side yard of a residential lot whereupon a vehicle accommodation space has been or could be constructed.”
McAdams said she received a complaint Friday from a resident who had to tell a neighbor not to park a car in the yard.
She said that even if it is private property, if a house has a driveway, the car must be parked there, not the yard.
“People parking in their yard is something that is very unsightly,” the mayor said. “It does not look good.”
Parking tractor-trailer trucks in residential areas is also not allowed. The city ordinance reads that tractor-trailer trucks, including the cabs, parking “on any public street, public parking facility, park, easement, or other publicly owned property within the city is prohibited.”
There are exceptions for delivery parking and some overnight parking during the process of completing business, but McAdams said there have been several complaints throughout Greenwood of these trucks parking in residential areas, including driveways.
“It does cause problems, especially with an 18-wheeler,” she said. “You’re talking major tonnage.”
She said residential roads are not designed to handle the wear-and-tear brought by these heavy trucks.
These parking issues are handled not by the police but by the city’s Department of Community Development.
“Those are ordinances that the Community Development workers are trying to enforce,” she said. “That’s what they do every day. They ride the street. They see what yards need to be cleaned. They see what dilapidated properties the city has.”
Violators will first receive a warning for a parking issue. If it is not resolved, a ticket will follow.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
