The local Catholic school board can expect a call from the city over parking in south Windsor.
The city standing committee looking at a request to allow on-street parking on five streets near the south Windsor mosque is holding off on making a decision in favour of exploring other solutions.
The Windsor Islamic Association has requested on-street parking allowances between 11am and 4pm on Fridays to accommodate worshippers attending the mosque in the area of Dominion Blvd and Northwood St. However, residents in the south Cameron neighbourhood have pushed back — concerned over congestion and a lack of parking space.
City Engineer Mark Winterton says one of the potential solutions to the parking dilemma includes talking with the school board as well as private parties about potential land sharing agreements to accommodate more parking.
He says the city is trying to keep parked cars off the street if possible.
"As best we can," says Winterton. "Certainly, the idea is to move those cars and have them parking within area that is the user generated area ie. the school or the mosque."
Windsor city councillor Bill Marra chairs the Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee meeting on July 19, 2017. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
City councillor and char of the Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee, Bill Marra, feels the congestion in the area is being caused by a number of factors.
"A lot of focus has been around the mosque and the amount of traffic there, but the reality is there have been a few things that have changed the complexion of that entire neighbourhood — Holy Names high school is a busy high school, Northwood grade school is very busy," says Marra. "There's been a lot that's happened — residential growth in certain pockets that abut that area and certainly the mosque is very busy."
Lucy Wilson lives on McKay Ave — one of the streets affected by the request to the city — and is more concerned with speeding in the area than parking.
"They really streak up this short street like it was a regular highway. The stop sign is not very far off," says Wilson. "It has become a very dangerous intersection."
Wilson is retired now and doesn't leave the house as much as she used to, but feels it would be much more difficult if she wanted.
"'Look how many there are,'" says Wilson. "If we wanted to go somewhere we would have to wait for this mass of people to end before we would be able to get off McKay Ave safely enough."
An overhead view of the area around the Windsor Mosque in south Windsor. (Photo courtesy Google)
Marra says it could be another 60 days before the committee makes a recommendation to council.
"We're not going to rush here. We're going to make sure that whatever option we exercise is one that's been thoroughly exhausted," says Marra.
The veteran city councillor is hoping the parking issue can be handled civilly by all involved and says councillors will do their part by considering all options before making a decision that affects the neighbourhood.
City councillor and committee chair Bill Marra wants to make sure all options are considered before making a decision that effects the neighbourhood.
"We have heard already that the initial reaction from the neighbourhood has not been very positive around what's been contemplated, so before the standing committee and even council contemplates any type of new direction, we want to ensure that everything has been exhausted," says Marra.
The five streets involved in the on-street parking request are Mark, Everts, Curry, McKay and Longfellow.