Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Street Parking begins to Vanish
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October 22, 2009 at 11:20 pm #592761
FauntleroyBabeMemberI’m not really sure if anyone can help me out with this, but a few weeks ago some people that live on my street decided to take it upon themselves and paint bright yellow strips on the curb in front of their rented apartments. There isn’t much parking on the street as it is and there is a strip of curb that could house 3 cars, if the first car was close to the edge of the driveway (but not too close mind you).
My fellow neighbors who own homes on the street are furious. How dare they paint the curb so as to make it look like the city did it. Does anyone know who I can call about this? It’s absolutely ridiculous and they should be told that they can’t take parking matters into their own hands.
Anyone, thoughts?
October 22, 2009 at 11:23 pm #680587
lazybeardParticipantI’m not meaning to be vague but I recall reading/seeing something about these kinds of cases.
I would contact SDOT as they <should> keep records as to what’s painted where.
October 22, 2009 at 11:25 pm #680588
datamuseParticipantMy guess would be SDOT? (Seattle Department of Transportation) They oversee parking, designation of loading zones, etc.
October 22, 2009 at 11:27 pm #680589
JenVMemberThe Revised Code of Washington states that vehicles must not park within 5-feet of a driveway (RCW 46.61.570(1)(b)(i).
If it’s 5 feet in either direction of the entryway to the apartment building, they’re well within their rights to paint the curb.
October 23, 2009 at 12:45 am #680590
christopherboffoliParticipantJenV is absolutely right. SMC 11.72.120 covers this too.
Citizens are allowed to paint up to five feet from the driveway:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/drivewaymarking.htm
October 23, 2009 at 12:57 am #680591
WSBKeymasterYes, call SDOT. I believe their hotline is 684-ROAD for all things street related.
October 23, 2009 at 5:03 am #680592
KBearParticipantSeems like many people’s idea of “not too close” is a lot less than the 5 feet mandated by law. Just because every curb’s not painted doesn’t mean you can park there.
October 23, 2009 at 5:07 am #680593
MargLMemberSounds like they might have painted a strip longer than 5 feet from the edge of the driveway – if this strip can usually park 5 cars… that’s longer than 5 feet.
October 23, 2009 at 2:23 pm #680594
datamuseParticipantMargL, that was my interpretation, too. I’ve seen places (mostly on Capitol Hill, where parking is always at a premium) where residents have painted five-foot strips next to their driveways, but this sounds more like they painted a long stretch of curb to make it look like it’s a loading zone or something.
October 23, 2009 at 4:03 pm #680595
JenVMemberwell, that doesn’t make sense…why would they make it harder for them to park there? they probably had an issue with people parking THISCLOSE to the edge of the driveway, and they were having a hard time entering and exiting. That happened at my work, we painted the curb. Now we can enter and exit our driveway without worrying about hitting cars who parked with their ass-end hanging a foot into the driveway. It sounds like there is more than a little classism in the original posters complaint. how dare they, those RENTERS..when there are homeowners who need to park!
October 23, 2009 at 4:45 pm #680596
JustSarahParticipantAgreed with JenV on all counts. I’m guessing there’s a combination of classism and embellishment at work in the OP.
October 23, 2009 at 6:04 pm #680597
maplesyrupParticipantI’d just park there anyway.
October 23, 2009 at 6:23 pm #680598
bluebirdMemberHow do you get classism out of this? Homeowners pay a huge chunk of property taxes and have a vested interest in what effects their neighborhood. They are also required by law to maintain the city property in front of their homes, which includes the sidewalk and planting/parking strip.
A renter bears none of that responsibility, yet feels justified to alter the few available parking spots to their advantage? I would be upset too, if it’s not a true city designated load/unload zone.
October 23, 2009 at 6:32 pm #680599
BuddyParticipantI would too Maplesyrup.
October 23, 2009 at 6:33 pm #680600
JenVMemberagain, I would point you to the RCW and SMC that gives the property owners the right to paint their curbs. I sincerely doubt that the apartment dwellers decided to do that on their own – it was likely the owner of the building/property.
October 23, 2009 at 6:40 pm #680601
KBearParticipantThe mistaken belief that renters don’t pay property taxes or have a vested interest in the upkeep of their neighborhood is classism. All renters pay property taxes. It’s rolled into their rent, along with many other costs associated with the upkeep of their building.
October 23, 2009 at 6:53 pm #680602
bluebirdMemberJenV, I understand the statutes. We had to do the same as your work, on our alley. Driveways are accessed that way. OP is talking about 3 car lengths though. That’s a minimum of 30-40 feet. Lots of apartments also do have a painted curb for their residents to move, unload purchases, etc, but they still have to be done by the city, with a city installed sign. At least that’s my understanding.
Kbear. Disagree, so I’ll just have to be a classist. What you describe is a divided small percentage for apartment dwellers. Single family house renter, different story. My real problem, is instead of asking OP for more details, they’re called an exaggerating classist. Rude name calling is preferable?
October 23, 2009 at 6:58 pm #680603
JenVMemberthe OP never stated that the curb painting was 3 car lengths. what he/she said is: “There isn’t much parking on the street as it is and there is a strip of curb that could house 3 cars, if the first car was close to the edge of the driveway”
the way that I read it, and I might be wrong, is that the street could hold 3 cars, as long as they parked right up next to the driveway. which is illegal. But maybe I misunderstood. In which case, the city would have to come along and fix the situation. the OP has never come back to back up or supplement their statement, so I guess we’ll never know.
October 23, 2009 at 7:10 pm #680604
JustSarahParticipantStill with Jen on this one. I read the OP very carefully and I understood it the same way: this particular stretch is long enough to park 3 cars up to the edges of the driveways. With curb painting, it likely now only fits 1, or 2 compact cars.
October 23, 2009 at 7:22 pm #680605
KBearParticipantNot sure I understand you, Bluebird. Any landlord who doesn’t set the rent high enough to cover the property taxes is going to lose money. Thus, renters pay their fair share of property taxes just like anyone else, whether it’s a single-family house or a big apartment building. And the idea that homeowners as a rule are better neighbors or better citizens of their community is an unfair stereotype. We’ve got renters and homeowners on our street, in houses and apartment buildings. Some of the homeowners’ places are sadly neglected, while many of the renters are great neighbors.
October 23, 2009 at 7:25 pm #680606
FauntleroyBabeMemberWell thanks for the all the opinions, I do appreciate it. Really in all fairness, my neighbors and I were upset and wanted to see what other people thought or if it was even legal to paint the city curb.
Honestly I don’t know who wrote about the apartment renters asking their landlords, but I am going to go with no. These people have 1 car, have a driveway to park in and choose not to. It’s more frustrating than anything really.
If everyone started painting their curbs 5 feet out from their driveway, there’d be no where to park in all of west seattle.
Bluebird and Maplysyrup – thanks :-)
October 23, 2009 at 7:38 pm #680607
KBearParticipant“If everyone started painting their curbs 5 feet out from their driveway, there’d be no where to park in all of west seattle.”
The paint does not make it a no-parking zone, it merely marks the no-parking zone that already exists. It is just as illegal for you to park there whether the curb is painted or not. Also, many driveways aren’t long enough to park in without blocking the sidewalk, which is also illegal. Is that the case here?
October 23, 2009 at 7:57 pm #680608
bluebirdMemberKbear, your assigning opinions to me that I don’t harbor. My renting neighbor is exemplary in every way. My homeowner neighbor’s property is a rat infested, overgrown, eyesore.
In the explained scenario here, an apartment building, and a singular tenant, commandeered the curbside, which rightfully should be made available to anyone (aside from that 5 feet and/or a city designation stating otherwise.)
I am a homeowner now, but have spent more than 2 decades as a renter in every conceivable configuration. By a vast majority, renters are around for 6 months to year, with exceptions, of course.
And yes, renters pay for the property owners taxes. But that would be 1/4, or 1/10, or 1/200th, in some cases. They do not bear the entire burden. So in this circumstance, one (of multiple) apartment renters, who may or may not be around in six months, does not IMO have as much invested in the neighborhood or any right to take over a public street’s parking options.
How does that make me a classist?
October 23, 2009 at 8:37 pm #680609
KBearParticipantOk, Bluebird, I see what you’re saying.
However, if all they did was paint the 5′ of curb adjacent to their driveway, that doesn’t technically change anyone’s parking options. They’re still free to park too close to the driveway if they want to, and they can be cited for it whether the curb is yellow or not.
What I don’t understand is, why did tenants paint the curb if they’re not using the driveway?
October 23, 2009 at 10:51 pm #680610
FauntleroyBabeMemberI don’t think they want anyone parking anywhere near their apt. Not cool.
And honestly there is no classism in this thread at all. I do not believe I am better than anyone else because I said renters and home owners. All I am saying is that these people renting the apartments by us think they own the street, when in fact they do not.
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