Published: July 20, 2008 01:59 am         

Keyser residents still disagree on parking near PSC

Residential parking has been in effect a little less than a year in the area surrounding Potomac State College, and still the residents of the area are disagreeing on whether it is working.

Orchard Street resident William Nesbit last month requested the “residential only” restriction be lifted on the section of Fort Avenue between Mineral and Orchard streets, saying the action would not affect anyone but himself and Pastor Jim McCune, who lives on the corner and has a driveway.

In October, Nesbit requested the designation be lifted from Orchard Street itself. Saying he had never had a parking problem before, Nesbit was quite upset after receiving a parking ticket for parking in front of his own home.

The council considered the situation, and granted his request.

B Street resident Harold Carvey, however, would like to see the “residential only” distinction on his street extended to include 24-hour coverage.

When the Keyser City Council approved the residential parking district last summer, they agreed that the designation would apply only between the hours of 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. the next day.

Many of the residents had complained that they had no place to park when they returned home from work in the evening, and the city officials expressed their desire to work with the college in allowing the students to park on the streets during the day, when most classes are in session.

Carvey, however, told the council recently that “all the people on A and B streets asked me to represent them, and we’d like to have parking 24/7.”

He told the council that students and instructors alike park on the streets during the day and because the streets are so narrow, “you can’t get up and down.”

James Street resident Dave Harman, who was one of the original residents to request help with the parking situation in his neighborhood, told the council he and his neighbors “are very happy with it the way it is.

“This past year, it worked very well,” he said.

Harman also said the residents were trying to work with the students, realizing that there are a few classes that might not be over by 4 p.m.

“We never called the police,” he said, noting that once the students’ classes had concluded, they always left quickly.

When Carvey asked the city officials to readdress the issue, Mayor Glen “Bunk” Shumaker suggested another public hearing on the topic.

“We need to give all the residents a chance to come down and voice their opinions,” he said.

“And then we’ll take it from there.”

The previous council wrestled with the topic of residential parking for quite sometime. When it originally passed an ordinance in February 2007, the “residential only” designation was in effect for 24 hours. The council members later amended the ordinance to include the hours of 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. prior to final passage.

Liz Beavers can be reached at lbeavers@times-news.com.