Thursday, June 10, 2010

Proposed Parking Rules

Please refer to the proposed rules you received in the mail recently and comment on them here.  I am looking forward to hearing from you.  Remember, no totally anonymous comments will be posted.

2 comments:

  1. 36-1102

    I just received the proposed regulations for the parking situation and while I am one of the many single car garage owners with 2 cars there are parts of this that I do not agree with.

    I definitely without a doubt am 100% for everyone using their garages to house as many cars as it can hold. There is no reason why anyone who has 2 cars and a 2 car garage should be parking either of those cars outside. If I had a 2 car garage I would have both cars in the garage but since I do not I have to fight for parking on a regular basis with people that can be housing their 2 cars in their garage.

    What I do not like is the fact that you are telling me that I can only have 1 guest at a time. There have been a couple of occasions that I have had more than one person with more than one car have to spend the night. Where do you propose that I have my guests park? It isn't like there is anywhere else around here I can have them park. Also what is not clear to me...are you regulating just over night guests or guests during the day as well?

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  2. This version of the proposed parking regulation is much better than the original version. However, I don't think it's clean enough to pass, as written.

    First, we need to answer the most important question: do we have a parking problem in Copper Hill?

    This policy was written assuming there is. We then need to ask ourselves if the proposed plan is the best way to solve the parking problem. Or, will the burden be greater than the original problem?

    We also need to look at what actions the board has already taken to remedy the problem. The board is charged with enforcing the CC&R's. Are they fulfilling their responsibility as board members and enforcing the current rule? If the board is enforcing the current garage policy, then why are they proposing a parking policy to enforce a garage policy?

    I think there are some other very important questions to answer before additional regulations are enacted.

    How will the proposed policy:
    1. affect our property values?
    2. affect the quality of life while living in Copper Hill?
    3. affect the relationships between neighbors?
    4. affect an owner's ability to rent his/her unit?

    What are the potential unintended consequences of enacting such a restrictive policy? The path to he** is paved with good intentions.

    Will this policy make it more difficult to sell or rent a unit? If you don't think so, do you have any empirical data to support that belief? I would not have moved in to Copper Hill with this policy in place; are there others that also feel the same way? If so, then it's clear that by passing this policy, we're reducing the market of potential buyers and therefore reducing the values of our homes.

    Now to the specifics of the proposed plan. I have 2 major concerns over the proposed policy:

    First, why are single garage units automatically allowed to park a second vehicle outside, but double garages must apply for an exception? This doesn't seem fair. Why is the rule being applied differently based on the size of your garage? If a household can demonstrate that it is in compliance with the garage policy, then shouldn't any unit be allowed to park as many vehicles as that household owns outside WITHOUT permission from the board?

    I am NOT willing to give the board control over how many vehicles I can own and park in Copper Hill. The current board may be benevolent, but future boards may not be. If any household owns 3+ vehicles, they're basically screwed if the board denies the application for an exception. Where are they going to park, if not within the gates of Copper Hill? I think this absolutely must be changed.

    Secondly, the penalty appears extreme. The policy says "vehicles violating this rule will be cited at the first violation and owners will be fined not less than $250 for a second violation in the same seven-day period." What is the citation for the first violation? A warning? A fine? If a fine, how much?

    Why does the penalty need to be so severe? $250 is a lot of money! It's more than 1 month's dues. Is it possible that the board sees this policy as a fundraiser?

    In summary, this policy has come quite a way's from the initial draft I reviewed. I'm happy to see that the board is thinking about ways to solve the problem, but I contend that this proposal isn't the best solution. Why not simply enforce the current garage policy? We all agreed to it when we moved in to Copper Hill and the board agreed to enforce the rules when they were elected. Why create additional rules to enforce a rule already on the books?

    I implore the board to seriously consider whether they have done everything in their power to enforce the current rules. If each and every one of you can honestly say that you've done your duty as a board member to enforce the garage policy, then I will happily agree to abide by this overbearing parking policy.

    -Russ
    36-2401

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