Sedona Park Residents Ask For Parking Permits

At tonight's Troutdale City Council work session, residents of the Sedona Park neighborhood asked for a resident parking permit program. They wanted the city to issue parking permits for Sedona Park residents and guests.

In a staff report, Troutdale Police Chief David Nelson pointed out the problems with such a request. First of all, enforcement would be problematic. There would be costs to the city to administer and enforce. In addition, there didn't seem to be a need for such a program in this neighborhood. Other cities have residential permit programs in areas where parking is hard to come by, such as in a downtown area, or near a stadium or other high demand venue. These conditions don't exist in tucked-away, residential Sedona Park.

The city council reached a consensus of "not at this time" for this proposal.

On the short term, Sedona Park residents also asked that construction workers and vehicles be kept out of the Sedona Park neighborhood during construction of the 9 new single family homes in the Tyson's Place subdivision next to Sedona Park. (In case you're not familiar with the history of Sedona Park and Tyson's Place, click here.)

At my suggestion, the city council and Sedona Park residents who attended the work session agreed to attempt a low-key, informal problem solving meeting with Sedona Park residents, city staff, representatives from Tyson's Place builder D.A. Grey and Multnomah County. I thought that instead of the city making new laws or requirements it would be better for the neighbors and the builder to tell each other what their needs were and work together to solve a mutual problem. So thats what everyone agreed to do.

We're a small town, everyone is usually open minded and friendly. A policy of live and let live is much better than heavy handed government dictated rules and regulations.