|
Residents are requested to park only one vehicle per household along the sidewalk in the lined spaces. This will enable all residents the opportunity to park one vehicle close to their home. It is also requested that only two cars per household park in a lined space. Additional vehicles should park along the curb or on the street.
Reserving Parking: There is no reserved parking in our community. Items placed to reserve parking are considered abandoned property and will receive a warning of disposal.
Unregistered/Unlicensed vehicles: The storage of unregistered/unlicensed vehicles, or vehicles with expired tags, on Spring Breeze Community Association property is prohibited and is subject to removal by towing.
SBCA Official Document Examples:
Q: Does the SBCA have assigned parking?
A: No, the SBCA does not assign parking spaces to individual units.
Q: Can someone living in another part of the community park in front of any unit?
A: Yes, a resident may park in any parking space within the SBCA.
Q: How does the SBCA govern parking related matters?
A: The SBCA has a parking policy has been in place for many years.
“Residents are requested to park only one vehicle per household along the sidewalk in the lined spaces. This will enable all residents the opportunity to park one vehicle close to their home. It is also requested that only two cars per household park in a lined space.”
Q: Where do guests park their vehicle(s)?
A: Visitors are requested to parking along the curb or along the street, much the same as requested for extra vehicles (i.e. 3rd or more) associated with permanent residents.
Q: How effective is the policy from the experience of the SBCA?
A: Overall, the existing parking policy has served the community well. The current policy allows flexibility in terms of permitting deliveries, guests, and sufficient overflow areas. The current policy allows for the available parking supply to adapt to the ongoing changes in parking demand as household demographics change.
Q: Is the lack of parking enforcement ever exploited?
A: Yes, on occasion, the parking policy is exploited. The policy can be exploited by residents who have more vehicles per household than their surrounding neighbors and/or when persons choose to park their additional vehicles (3 or more per household) within the lines spaces closest to units. This situation is exacerbated during peak demand hours such as weekdays between 5:00 pm and 8:00 am, or weekends.
Q: How often do parking grievances’ arise?
A: While difficult to give exact statistics, parking grievances’ are the exception and not the rule.
Q: Does the SBCA directly address parking grievances between neighbors?
A: No, but the SBCA can provide helpful guidance by providing examples of how other neighbors have dealt with past parking grievances.
Q: How does the SBCA suggest residents address their parking grievances?
A: Occasional parking grievances can best be dealt with by being respectful to your neighbors and politely request they not park additional vehicles (3 + vehicles) in the lined spaces closest to each unit. Since the SBCA parking policy is not enforceable by law, the language in the policy may not be used in any way to require or otherwise force one to relocate extra vehicles from the lined spaces closest to each unit.
Q: What are some examples of when the current parking policy breaks down?
A: The supply of available parking can be reduced when severe winter weather impacts our community. Heavy snowfall(s) do tend to burry available parking spaces. While homeowners are usually prompt at shoveling out spaces directly in front of their units, overflow parking along curbs and within nearby parking islands often are not shoveled out as quickly. During heavy snow events, the natural supply of parking overflow the community enjoys is either reduced or eliminated completely until the snow melts or is cleared. Large consumer deliveries or temporary outdoor storage containers (i.e. P.O.D.S., or “Smartbox”) cannot be placed within the common right-of-way and, thus, have nowhere to go other than being stored in the lined parking space(s) in front of the units.
Q: How are these parking policy ‘breakdowns’ dealt with?
A: Severe weather (winter snowfall) present unique challenge to parking supply management. In short, the SBCA board makes an official announcement over the SBCA E-mail list serve stating a temporary suspension of the parking policy. Effectively, this announcement makes all in the community aware the negative impact the snow will have on available parking and that residents should expect an increase in the number of vehicles parked in lined spaces they usually are not until the snowfall has been removed. Instances of temporary outdoor storage units (i.e. P.O.D.S., or “Smartbox”) or large delivery items placed within lined parking spaces are addressed on a case-by-case basis. Most instances, however, are addressed without any negative impact on the community or neighborly relations since the household responsible for the item speaks directly with their neighbors before that item occupies any lined parking spaces.
Q: What are the current numbers of parking spaces per household in SBCA?
A: There are 262 lined parking spaces for the 131 townhome units, yielding an approximate parking space per unit ratio of 2:1 across the entire community.
Q: Are there specific areas within the SBCA that have more or less parking spaces available per unit?
A: Yes; based upon parking spaces per unit ratios, areas with below average values appear to be on Sea Shadow units 9537 through 9559 and units 9585 through 9601. Areas with above average values appear to be Early Spring Way units 9702 through 9740, Sea Shadow units 9501 through 9535 and units 9565 through 9583.
Q: How does the relationship between specific areas of above and below average parking spaces per unit affect the overall available parking supply?
A: Since all areas with below average parking space per unit ratios are immediately adjacent to areas with higher than average parking space per unit ratios, the supply of parking communitywide should be able to uphold the spirit and intent of the current parking policy of parking no more than two vehicles per household within the lined spaces closest to each unit.
Q: How does the parking units to unit ratios compare to other communities?
A: The SBCA parking spaces per unit ratios are higher than what current County development codes permit for new townhome construction (usually around 1.5 spaces per unit).
Q: How do extra vehicles per unit (i.e. 3 + 4 car households) factor into the overall parking per unit ratios.
A: Anecdotal evidence and long time residents’ experience suggests that numerous units with both 1-vehicle and 3 + vehicles per household exist within the SBCA. However, there is no way to tell exactly how many vehicles per household exist at any given time, and thus, is one of the largest obstacles to definitively assessing the real parking demands placed on the available parking supply.
Q: Has the SBCA ever considered assigning parking spaces?
A: Yes; the SBCA has considered assigned parking in the past.
Q: What is the first step in assigning parking should the SBCA ever choose to do so?
A: There are certain areas within the SBCA private right-of-way (ROW) that is actually co-owned by Howard County. Howard County has partial right-of-way for the parking spaces immediately along Early Spring Way. This does not include those parking lots to the east and west (right and left respectively) of the primary drive. According the County, the SBCA would need to obtain permission from the County to regulate/assign parking for these spaces, per the discretion of the SBCA Board of Directors. This is apparently fairly common practice throughout the County. Remaining parking areas, including all parking along Sea Shadow, is privately held by the SBCA.
Q: Once the SBCA obtains all ROW ownership what would happen next?
A: In order to assign parking in the common area parking lots, the SBCA must modify its Articles of Incorporation, or Declaration. The existing Articles may be found at www.springbreeze.org. This requires a vote among house owners and consent of at least 75% of the 131 home owners (section XIII, sec. 1). Once the requisite vote of the owners is obtained, the amendment must be filed among the land records of Howard County.
Q: What are some of the advantages of assigned parking?
A: All units would have at least one vehicle to be guaranteed a parking space close to their home. Residents would be able to have a shorter distance to walk from the parking lot(s) to the front entrance to ones unit.
Q: What are some of the negatives associated with assigned parking?
A: Households with more than two vehicles would no longer be permitted to park in lined spaces closest to the units; Vehicles who park in otherwise assigned spaces will have their vehicles towed; Lost flexibility for guests, deliveries, and other miscellaneous needs (i.e. need for temporary outdoor storage, large deliveries). Enforcement burdens are difficult to determine due to towing companies having different rules regarding who is to sign off on the actual towing of an offending vehicle.
Q: Does the SBCA manage the supply of available parking other than the parking policy?
A: Yes; The SBCA has developed a ‘Trespass & Towing Policy’ to address the parking and/or storage of vehicles that appear to be abandoned. The Trespass Tow Policy is posted on the SBCA website, and outlines the process by which the SBCA determines if vehicles are indeed abandoned, and how those types of vehicles are removed from SBCA property.
Q: How do residents request a handicapped parking space?
A: E-mail or write the SBCA with your name, house number, justification, and expiration date for your State provided handicapped tag. Requests are subject to SBCA Board approval. Residents must display State-provided handicapped tags while parking in handicapped spaces.
Q: Can anyone with a State-provided handicapped tag park in any of the designated handicapped parking spaces?
A: Yes; Handicapped parking spaces are created at the request of the individual residents, but these spaces are not officially assigned to that resident. The SBCA has no assigned parking in the community. Handicapped residents may be occasionally inconvenienced in the off chance another resident or guest with a State-provided tag parks in one of the handicapped spaces.
|
