Parking Limits Put On Two Berlin Streets

BERLIN – Parking will no longer be allowed on the south side of Washington Street following a recommendation from the town’s police department.

In an effort to improve accessibility, Police Chief Arnold Downing proposed no parking on the south side of Washington Street and no parking at all on Grace Street. The Berlin Town Council approved both recommendations on Tuesday.

Downing said the recommendations came after discussions with area residents as well as public safety officials.

“We talked to all the neighbors we could,” he said.

Downing’s department was tasked with assessing the town’s on-street parking situation following a July 30 garage fire on Washington Street. As emergency vehicles responded to the fire, some had trouble getting to the scene because of cars parked along the road.

“Fortunately no one was injured but the fire company had trouble getting fire equipment to the scene because they had to do what I think is called a five point turn back and forth back and forth,” Mayor Gee Williams said. “After talking to several members of that neighborhood, we asked the chief to look into the parking situation and make recommendations in terms of changes that needed to be made.”

Downing told the council this week that he’d spent weeks reviewing on street parking in the area. He spoke with public safety officials, residents, the town’s public works department and the Maryland State Highway Administration.

“We’ve actually had these concerns even before the fire,” Downing said. “In 2017 the same concerns were brought up about Jefferson Street and the town went ahead and made parking on one side on Jefferson Street. So as a reference point, we’ve been to this place before. It was a good opportunity to talk to everyone that had a vested interest.”

His review revealed that Washington Street was 21 feet wide.

“When vehicles are parked on both sides we only have seven feet,” he said. “State Highway says a good reference point is 12 feet. What we have is a great deficit on that street.”

He added that some of the Berlin Fire Department’s vehicles were more than 10 feet wide. Trash trucks also have problems picking up garbage on the street when cars are parked on both sides.

Downing said the police department also felt parking should be eliminated on tiny Grace Street.

When asked how the public would be made aware of the new restrictions on parking, Downing said curbs would be painted red and signage would be installed. The council voted 3-0 to restrict parking as proposed.

About The Author: Charlene Sharpe

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Charlene Sharpe has been with The Dispatch since 2014. A graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and the University of Richmond, she spent seven years with the Delmarva Media Group before joining the team at The Dispatch.