Springdale residents, borough mull proposed parking restrictions near high school

A proposed ordinance in Springdale would restrict parking on certain roads near Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School and make several other streets “permit parking only.”

The ordinance — which could go into effect this summer — would not allow any parking on the cemetery side of School Street, the south side of Butler Street and both sides of Marion Avenue between James and School streets.

It would require a permit to park on Highland, Chester, Logan, Ross and Pearl streets as well as the 500 and 600 blocks of James Street, and sections of School and Orchard streets.

Residents would be entitled to one parking pass per vehicle registered at their address.

Though it is not mentioned in the text of the ordinance, borough Councilman Dan Copeland said residents expecting guests can call or email Springdale police to avoid tickets for their vehicles.

Copeland said parking in the area “has been a problem forever” and the ordinance is only the latest parking update in the borough.

He said many of the streets are tight, and the proposed restrictions are partially an effort to allow borough emergency and public works vehicles better access to the area.

But the proposal has been met with mixed feelings among Allegheny Valley School Board members and residents.

School Director Paula Jean Moretti said she was disappointed by the ordinance because it could restrict access to school events, especially for those with mobility issues.

She said there had been no issue with parking in the area until the school board moved forward on construction of its new football field.

That effort came after talks with the borough about the maintenance of Veterans Memorial Field, where Springdale High School football games were played for many years, fell through last year and the district terminated its lease with the borough.

The timing of the ordinance, she said, is “ironic.”

Copeland said the ordinance had nothing to do with the new football field.

Though the ordinance could make parking “more inconvenient,” school board President Nino Pollino said things remain business as usual as far as he is concerned.

He said the board is considering several options to expand parking in the area, and he is confident there will be adequate parking regardless of whether the ordinance proceeds.

“They have to do what’s right for the borough. We have to do what’s best for the school,” Pollino said.

School Street resident Ben Schultheis, 49, said he has never had any issues with parking near his home, but he would support a permitting system if the football games were to bring greater traffic to the area.

He would prefer parking restrictions only during potentially high-traffic events, like football game days, rather than all the time.

“No one steps on each other’s toes around here,” Schultheis said.

Paul Vizich, 77, who lives on James Street near the school, said he thinks resident-only parking would be “great.”

Though it is infrequent, he said, cars line his section of the street during events. He said a stranger once even parked in his driveway.

Nearby on James Street, Christine O’Donnell, 60, said she didn’t think permit parking was necessary near her home.

Parking, she said, had never been an issue for her, and school events are few and far between.

“We can accommodate people for a couple events,” O’Donnell said.

On Logan Street, several blocks away from the school, Phil Lichok, 83, said he hasn’t experienced any parking problems on his street, and he didn’t expect anyone to park so far away from the school to attend events.

Springdale still has to formally advertise the ordinance and move through its adoption procedure.

According to Copeland, it could be passed by July.