Prineville hopes to solve ADA parking issues
There’s a parking problem in Prineville.
“We have two issues that have been brought up several times in the city, (they) kind of came to a head last planning commission meeting,” senior planner Joshua Smith said Thursday.
Those two issues revolve around maintenance of handicapped signage and misuse of ADA placards.
“Wheel stops are getting broken, signs are getting knocked down, businesses are having to constantly replace them,” Smith said.
The ADA requires handicapped spaces to have signs marking them, but many of those signs have been knocked down, and parking has become a free for all.
“We have a vehicle without a placard, parking in a space where you can clearly see the paint on the ground, but because there’s no sign, there’s no way to enforce,” Smith said.
The city is working with business owners on ideas to help keep these signs secured, including putting concrete barriers around them and attaching them to buildings, rather than poles.
Smith said misuse of placards is also a big problem.
“You have people who die, (and others) keep the placard. There’s been some cases where (people) wipe off the number, because they’re just done by marker, and they write on a new year and continue to use a placard,” he said.
Frustrated residents are in talks with city officials about forming a citizen task force to crack down on this behavior. Both parties are in the early stages of discussion and for now are hoping to raise more awareness on the issues.
