Oklahoma Gazette Letters to the Editor: Packed parking

With regard to a recent story on parking problems along N. Western Avenue (July 11, Oklahoma Gazette), I live on N.W. 42nd Street, just east of Western. Between Francis and Western, there are 16 duplexes, constantly occupied, averaging three adults (and three cars) per structure. These duplexes have two-car detached garages, all of them have shared one-car driveways, so the third car of the pair of units invariably ends up in the street.

On quiet nights, 12 to 18 of the 31 residential parking spaces are occupied with cars belonging to the residents. On Cafe Nova party nights, all 31 spaces are full before 8 p.m. Residents who come home after the party starts end up forced to park halfway to Shartel.

N.W. 42nd west of Western suffers many of the same concerns, and actually tends to have more residential on-street parking.

I can appreciate new business, and I’m all for growth and expansion, but that expansion must be done responsibly and without negative impact to the surrounding neighborhood. I’m sure there is research that will determine how many parking spaces are needed for any given occupancy. Just as simple parking lots cannot be approved unless they include a water run-off management plan, businesses should not be approved without a responsible parking management plan.

—Justin Howe, Oklahoma City