Groveland Township residents now have a new off street parking ordinance following the April 14 Board of Trustees meeting.
In a unanimous vote, trustees approved a new parking ordinance that allows two licensed vehicles per person plus two vehicles per household.
For example, under the new ordinance a family of four, each resident holding a valid driver’s license could have up to ten licensed vehicles on the property. The new rule, follows a year-long debate after several residents complained that property owners had an excessive number of vehicles on a residentially zoned parcel.
‘There was just no upper limit in the ordinance on the number of vehicles a resident could have,? said Robert DePalma, Groveland Township supervisor.
‘It’s a few residents in the community that force these types of ordinance changes.?
The whole issue started with an individual who had about 20 cars with dealer plates and then another who had about 17 cars with antique plates. Both residents stayed within the limits of the exsiting ordinance so the upper limit had to be changed, added DePalma.
While Brandon Township officials, who regularly patrol area streets, have had few problems regarding excessive numbers of vehicles on property, rules do exist.
Under the current Brandon Township ordinance, automobiles or trailers without any current license plate are are not to be parked on residential property.
‘Basically, we look to see if it’s an appropriate use of that land,? said Timothy Palulian, Brandon Township building official.
‘We’ve never had a real problem with too many cars parked on the lawn, as long as they have a license.?
If a violation does occur, Township officials typically send a letter informing residents of the problem before action is taken.