An ongoing parking problem at the top of Gerry Sorensen Way is going to be resolved one way or another as Council has directed City staff to find a solution.
The issue is parking in the area of the old Rosa Chair above the hairpin turn on Gerry Sorensen Way.
The City did remove a No Parking sign in that area for the summer, to allow access to the ski hill for hikers and berry pickers. That created six angle parking spots. When those spots are filled, vehicles should be parked in the parking area near the Nordic Clubhouse.
However, residents say parking has now spilled over onto the sides of Gerry Sorensen Way in front of their homes, and worse, vehicles are parking on the roadway itself, creating a very narrow area for vehicles to pass.
In a letter to Council, residents say they don't have a problem with cars off the roadway on the gravel section, but do have issues with those parked on the road.
Council has been wrestling with the parking issue in that area for quite some time, Mayor Ron McRae said and it was time to refer it to staff for resolution.
"People are parking in the no parking area — there is a sign. And they are parking further down to the Nordic club and are parking on the travelled portion. Staff will have to make sure we have a process in place to manage this issue. The end result will not have everyone happy, but we are spending far too much time on this."
"I adjusted my parking habits up there," said Coun. Darryl Oakley. "There are about 200 users depending on the time of year."
Oakley said the issue usually arises in the summer when people access the area for berry picking. He said it is force of habit for many — that area is the old resort parking lot. He said the summer angle parking spaces are a courtesy, citing the example of a women whose father has been picking up there for 60 years. He can't walk the distance from the Nordic trails, Oakley said.
There is also an issue of who exactly owns what up there.
McRae says City staff has been doing a lot of research on legal boundaries and roadways. But the bottom line is, parking on a travelled roadway will not just get you ticketed, it could get you towed.