Council takes no action on post office parking.

Mayor Rob Zwicker read the following letter addressed to town council at the September council meeting:

July 26, 2013

                                                                                                                                                                 Rich Fuchs
11 Cedar Ave., Box 613
Hantsport,  Nova Scotia
Canada  B0P 1P0

Mayor Rob Zwicker and Members of Hantsport Town Council

Re: Rescinding the New Parking Prohibitions at Hantsport Post Office

I am writing to request that the new parking prohibitions in front of the Hantsport Post Office be rescinded.  After consulting with Council staff I understand that a local trucking company complained about difficulty in turning its tractor trailers and the RCMP identified a bylaw in the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act which was interpreted to warrant the new parking prohibitions.

I request that these parking prohibitions be rescinded because:

·       The Post Office one of the principal “commons” in Hantsport.  People go there for their mail, briefly park their cars and interact with their neighbours at the curbside. These new parking prohibitions destroy this important element of community life.

·       No parking alternatives have been made for citizens to collect their mail and send packages and mail.

·       There was no prior indication or consultation with citizens on this important change in our community.

·       The new parking prohibitions are dangerous and unsafe.  An aging Hantsport population , young parents pushing strollers and others with mobility issues now have to park further away from, and walk a greater distance to go to, the Post Office, a place citizens have to visit almost every day.  Further, in winter with stormy, snowy winds and icy sidewalks, people will be at greater risk every-time the mail is collected.

In the region, for example, neither Berwick nor Windsor have these kinds of parking restrictions in front of their Post Offices.

Further, Hantsport is no longer a company town.  The interests of one (1) trucking company should not take precedence over the rights, convenience and safety of every taxpaying household in the Town.

Thanks and please advise.

Rich Fuchs

Citizen and Taxpayer

(Rich forwarded the letter and these photos to this blog.)

Berwick

Windsor

Deputy Mayor Harold Bulger asked how many times parking interferes with trucks. No one could answer this. 

(This blog asked Post Master Laura Fris and Clerk Diane Pinch at the post office about the amount of truck traffic turning down Station Street. They stated there is not enough truck traffic for them to notice how many trucks there are. Maybe once a year a truck driver would honk the horn when it was difficult for him to turn. The women made it clear that RCMP not the post office had the yellow no parking lines painted. People have complained to them - seniors, mothers with young children. Many drivers are ignoring the yellow lines because the town has no bylaw enforcement officer. Laura said if she were a member of the public she would park on the yellow lines too. Diane commented that there is no place to park while you run in for the mail.)

Council cited safety as the reason to make no changes. It will write a letter to Rich.