First in a series
[img]2570|exact|Meghan Sahli-Wells. Photo, Todd Johnson.||no_popup[/img]
This afternoon, Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells, holding a singular view on the City Council, entered the public discourse for the first time in the community’s flaming residential parking controversy. Should one block of Farragut Drive have its weekday residents-only parking privilege revoked or amended to accommodate members of nearby Grace Lutheran Church.
At last Monday’s Council meeting, Ms. Sahli-Wells was the only person on the dais opposing any changes in present Farragut parking regulations.
“The fundamental question is this,” said the mayor,
“What is the goal of a residential parking program?
“If you just take it from the title, and from my understanding as a resident, a residential parking program is meant to protect the quality of life of residents.”
Ms. Sahli-Wells said “this is something I experience” on the block where she lives, downtown Culver City. “My block was heavily impacted by what they call ‘intrusion parking,’” she said. “Over the weekend, you cannot park without a permit in my neighborhood.
“It is kind of the exact opposite of Farragut,” where parking in the 10700 block only is open on Saturday and Sunday but close to the public 14 hours a day Monday through Friday. The leadership of Grace Lutheran Church is hoping to at least loosen if not kill the weekday regulations.
“I can relate to Farragut,” the mayor said, and it was noted at the Council meeting that she alone held a status quo position.
Advocating muscularly for residents’ rights, Ms. Sahli-Wells said the City Council must “tread very carefully if we go down the road of changing our parking restrictions because of an entity that is not a resident.” She was alluding to Grace Lutheran, the petitioner, that is seeking more weekday parking flexibility for its members.
(To be continued)
