Council approves student's request to remove parking

Newark City Council on Monday unanimously approved a student's request to remove three parking spaces in front of his house on North Chapel Street.

Senior Ben Capon said parked cars along the street block a driver's view and make pulling out of his driveway dangerous.

"It's a crapshoot pulling out," Capon told council. "I'm afraid someone will hit me."

Capon, who lives at 43 N. Chapel St., and his neighbors share a parking lot behind the houses. Drivers pulling out of the shared driveway onto North Chapel Street can't see vehiclescoming down either side of the street due to the cars parked at the unmetered spots in front of the houses, he said.

Two of his neighbors have been clipped by another vehicle while attempting to pull out of the driveway, Capon said.

Though Newark police opposed the plan, council approved it with little discussion, agreeing with a recommendation by the city's traffic committee.

Police say removal of the parking spaces could lead to speeding on North Chapel Street.

"It is a natural reaction for people to slow down when coming down a narrow street, and the parked cars make it seem narrow," Lt. George Stanko of the Newark police's parking division said at the Nov. 17 traffic committee meeting. "By removing the cars, it will only increase the oncoming traffic's speed, not decrease it."

Police chief Paul Tiernan told council that Newark police reached a compromise with Capon that would remove the three spots closest to the driveway. Capon had originally requested that six spots be removed.

"All the way down to Cleveland [Avenue], we can't see anything coming," Capon said.

The traffic committee's review of the area's accident history since 2007 found three accidents caused by pulling out of driveways onto North Chapel Street.

After the meeting, Capon expressed frustration that the issue took so long to resolve. He said he began complaining about the issue in September, but the traffic committee tabled the measure for further review before eventually sending it to council for final approval.

Still, he was pleased at council's decision.

"I'm happy about that," Capon said. "It's the right thing to do."

Capon said he was told the three parking spaces would be marked off with yellow paint on the curb, but officials have not said when the painting will occur.