Resident's Handicapped Parking Request Denied

A Front Street resident whose household includes two handicapped individuals asked Hellertown Borough Council to consider her request for a second on-street handicapped parking space to be added in front of her home Jan. 17. Council, however, cited the borough's handicapped parking space policy in unanimously denying her request.

According to the policy, only one handicapped parking space is allowed per household.

"We've had this requested before," police chief Robert Shupp told council. "Going back 10 years, we allow one (space) per household."

Shupp said that allowing more than one handicapped space per household could ultimately affect the public's ability to park on borough streets.

"What happens if her neighbors move in and her (new) neighbor's handicapped and asks for (a reserved space)?" he said. "I'm not saying that (the request) isn't deserving. It's just, where do we draw the line?"

Lori Martin, the Front Street resident who made the request, told council that her husband and son are both significantly handicapped.

Although a reserved space exists for her husband's vehicle, she said her son is having difficulty parking his car, which has a state-approved handicapped placard assigned to it.

"I really don't feel it's fair for him to not be allowed to have it," she said of the reserved parking space.

As a result of blood clots in his legs and lungs, Martin said her son "can't even walk up the steps without huffing and puffing."

Martin said she and her family rent their home on Front Street, and she characterized the overall parking situation there as "not a very good situation."

As a result of an ongoing dispute over parking, she said she and her immediate neighbors are no longer on speaking terms.

She also told council that her landlord has suggested creating additional parking by installing macadam in part of the home's yard.

After hearing that, councilman Mike McKenna told Martin that "going back to your landlord seems like the most viable option" for dealing with the situation.

Council vice president John Bate said the situation as described by Martin sounded to him "more like a neighbor dispute than a parking issue."

"I'm not going to take someone's parking space away just because neighbors are mad at each other," he said. "I think one parking spot right now is more than enough."

Borough manager Cathy Kichline also noted that the borough isn't required to provide residents with reserved on-street handicapped parking spaces, but does so as "a courtesy."

In approving the borough's handicapped parking policy at the meeting, in addition to reiterating that only one reserved space per household be allowed, council determined that new recipients of reserved spaces pay a $50 fee, effective immediately.

That fee will cover the cost of procuring a metal sign, its installation and the processing of paperwork.

Council also determined that all existing spots be subject to a $10 renewal fee, starting in 2013.

Council president Phil Weber noted that although on-street handicapped parking spots are typically used by the residents who have requested them, they are not proprietary. Legally, any motorist with a handicapped vehicle designation can utilize one of the reserved on-street spaces.

Although Martin's request was denied, both Shupp and public works director Tom Henshaw said they would pay her a visit to determine if anything can be done to improve the parking situation in the immediate vicinity of her home.