During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the Council unanimously voted against establishing “no parking” zones along both sides of Sanders Street. The Council was initially presented with the proposal at the previous meeting, where Anders denied unanimous consent.
Ward 2 Council member Kelley Griswold asked how the paths along Sanders St. were classified, as multiuse paths and bike paths have different restrictions as to parking. City Engineer Alison Frazier stated that they are multiuse lanes, which have different restrictions than either of them. Parking is allowed in multiuse lanes.
Griswold asked if the lane could be re-designated as a bike path, which does not allow parking. Frazier did not know if a bike path would fit into the City’s bike plan.
Griswold also said he spoke with ten of his constituents over the Nextdoor app, and they did not realize that the parking ban was only for one block of the street. He also heard concerns over students who park along the street for the nearby Tiger Transit stop.
Ward 4 Council member Brett Smith asked if the City has received a consensus from the seven parcels affected by the proposed parking restriction. Anders said he knows of three property owners against the proposal.
Griswold said he was told of the issue by constituents, and in turn reported it to the City. He did not have input in the proposed solution.
The Council decided to unanimously deny the proposal, allowing the residents to attempt to manage parking before the City imposes restrictions. The Council can pursue a similar restriction at a future Council meeting if it is proposed.
During his announcements, Anders said that he is continuing with his annual tradition of placing a $100 bet on the Alabama-Auburn football game with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.
Griswold thanked Cary Woods Elementary School for their drive-thru Veteran’s Day ceremony.
The Council unanimously approved the Westview Greenway project. The project consists of a path connecting Foster St with the soccer complex and will reach the Lee County Humane Society, said Frazier. The project will eventually continue through the Westview property. The trail is slightly over half of a mile, said City Manager Jim Buston.
During Citizens’ Communications, three representatives of a proposed annexation spoke to the Council about their proposal for a subdivision with three-acre lots north of 1100 Ensminger Road. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the annexation due to the City’s optimal boundaries.
Ward 3 Council member Beth Witten said the boundary restrictions have historically been strictly followed. She believes the property should not be annexed until the City’s optimal boundary is reviewed and possibly extended to include the land in question.
Griswold said he was contacted by residents near to the proposed annexation and they were not in support of the project. The constituents believe their public safety is not well-covered by Auburn Police Division, Lee County Sheriff or Chambers County Sheriff, he said.
Buston said that the subdivision can still be built outside City limits if the Council did not approve the project.
The Council unanimously denied annexing the land for the subdivision.
The Council also unanimously approved putting a lien on a property in order to destroy a dilapidated structure. The lien is roughly $5,000, Buston said. The landowners will have to repay the lien in order to develop or sell the property.
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Charlie Ramo, junior in aerospace engineering, is the content editor of The Auburn Plainsman.
