WEIRTON - With narrow streets not built for multiple vehicle households, city residents continue to face challenges when it comes to parking.
The Weirton Traffic Commission voted Thursday to recommend an addendum to an ordinance that prohibits parking commercial vehicles in residential zoned areas of the city. The ordinance currently defines a commercial vehicle as a tractor-trailer, but Ward 4 Councilman George Ash said he believes the term "commercial vehicle" needs to be further defined to include several other large vehicles.
Ash said in the area near Wells Street and Brooke Street, several large box trucks associated with certain businesses, which he did not name, have been parking in the neighborhood areas taking up parking spaces needed for residents. He said the trucks take up several spaces making the narrow roadways hard to travel and parking a problem. He requested the traffic commission take a look at the issue to see if it would be possible to place "residential parking only" signs along the streets.
"Our ordinance doesn't clearly define all commercial vehicles and there is nothing the police can do because the ordinance clearly states tractor-trailer," he said.
Commissioner George Reddish presented what he recommended as the change to the ordinance. He said there is a problem with trailers of all kinds and other large vehicles parked along residential zoned streets throughout the city and the addendum would help police monitor and take action when necessary.
The addendum states that "all trucks in excess of 3/4 ton (dump trucks, box type trucks, stake body trucks, vans, etc), buses, wreckers, bucket trucks, cranes, motor homes, campers, all-terrain vehicles, boat trailers, work and tool trailers, lawn tractor trailers, horse trailers and livestock trailers will not be permitted to be parked, stored or otherwise left unattended on city property, streets or alleys in residential zoned neighborhoods."
It further states that any vehicle involved in active construction or repair work sites, lawn mowing activities and Dumpsters while the job activity lasts and due caution diligence and safety are being enforced will be exempt from the restrictions.
Ash said he was pleased to see there was a clear definition of commercial vehicles, and the recommendation is something he would support on the council floor as an across-the-board solution to the problem.
