Attendees: Rick Ballard      Dan Horchik      Vicki Hughes

Jean Cholette    Sue Murray       Lisa Williams

Scott Trueman   Gladys Miu       Jane Dolphin

Diana Konyen   Blake Reeves    Dave Houghton

Karen Ungar

Regrets: Bruce Winn

Rick Ballard who facilitated the meeting issued an Agenda for the meeting

• Introduction
• Our Role
• Review Minutes of Feb 12 2004 (i.e. – Town of Markham Parking Meeting)
• Discussion of Options
• Actions
• Next Meeting

Discussion re role of the Parking Committee

The Angus Glen Ratepayers Association had agreed to facilitate the discussions and will not take a position on the issue

the Committee will not decide or recommend 1 solution for Angus Glen residents

the Committee will suggest several options to deal with the subject of overnight parking on the streets of the Angus Glen Community (East village only)

these suggestions will be brought forward to all residents of Angus Glen in the form of a Survey with options to select from

Committee members agreed to go door to door with the survey

each resident will have an opportunity to respond

the group has not decided on what would constitute a majority of opinion

Introduced options available:

• Maintain the status quo
• Eliminate overnight parking
• Implement permit parking
• Alternate side of street parking
• All streets, some streets

After some discussion the group reached consensus on what our objective would be:

Objective: To encourage people in Angus Glen to use their garages without penalizing those people with extra cars (children, extended family, etc.) and keeping the streets safe for our children, residents and homes.

Discussed Health & Safety issues

• Emergency vehicle access
• Children between parked cars

Cornell

Several years back (circa 199) the Cornell Ratepayers Association with the assistance of the Town of Markham surveyed their residents and the majority concluded that Permit Parking at Cornell was the best option for residents. Permit Parking at Cornell is confined to 2 streets and we are attempting to obtain the Survey that they used. We will also obtain for the Committee all pertinent information relating to Permit Parking in Cornell.

Actions:

1.   Dan Horchik to obtain copy of the Cornell Survey

2.   Dan Horchiik/Rick Ballard to obtain detailed information on Permit Parking at Cornell

3.   Dan Horchik to advise if parking on aprons in laneways is legal

4.   Dan Horchik to advise if parking violations are being enforced in Angus Glen

Next Meeting:

Thursday May 6th @ 7:00pm – Town Of Markham, Ontario Room

RESIDENTS COMMENTS @ Town Hall Feb 12th meeting

Residents were invited to offer their comments and questions. Some
of the main points raised were:

• Create alternate-side parking restrictions so that ploughs can
  do one side, one day, and the other side the next
• Use snow ploughs during the day when fewer vehicles are parked
  • Some residents are leaving vehicles in the same spot for
    considerable lengths of time
  • Some residents are not using their garages for parking, thus
    putting more cars on the street
  • Original residents moved in on the basis that on street, and
    overnight, parking would be permitted
  • Parked cars create a hazard for children crossing the street
    they can_t be seen by oncoming vehicles
  • Stricter enforcement of restrictions would encourage people to
    use their garages, if available
  • Vehicles are parking too close to the edge of laneways and
    street  corners creating a hazard for vehicles pulling out
  • Vehicles are often parked immediately in front of the pathways
    that run from some houses to the road
  • Some residents suggested that the matter could be dealt with
    internally by issuing letters to all residents requesting they use
    their garages where possible, and such like
  • Problem worsening as more vehicles are used by residents;
    Difficult for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles to
    access the subdivision
  • Unfair for those residents whose homes are located on the side
    of the street upon which parking is permitted
  • A common sense approach and solution is needed to the problems

Staff provided responses to questions and statements from residents.
These included:

• Alternate-side parking does not eliminate the need to have
  areas completely free of parked cars so that snow ploughs can operate
• Timing of ploughing is purely dependent on the weather, and
  there is a need to have the roads clear prior to the morning commute
• Staff resource limitations means that parking offences cannot
  be enforced as promptly as would be ideal
• Currently, residents in Markham are entitled to a temporary
  exemption to the no overnight parking rule in certain instances
  (maximum of twelve times per year).

It was stated that if permit parking were implemented in Angus Glen,
issues such as cost of permits, number of permits per household,
designated parking areas etc would still need to be resolved. At
this stage, staff has only put forward the idea for consideration,
and has not considered the finer details.