Overlander Drive residents are concerned on-street parking between The Hamlets and Coopers is a safety concern for pedestrians and drivers.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

UPDATE: 4:05 p.m., April 30, 2013

Residents of Overlander Drive will have to wait a bit longer to hear what the city has planned for parking between The Hamlets at Westsyde and Coopers following the submission of a petition that saw more than 60 residents ask to make the area a no-parking zone.

Council agreed today to ask staff to put together a report on parking in the area that would cover timelines for construction in the area, interim parking agreements and available on-site parking.

In the meantime Coun. Nelly Dever asked staff to look whether all parking setbacks are being observed after personally witnessing vehicles parked right up to the intersection with Westsyde Road earlier this week.

2:20 p.m., April 29, 2013

Residents in the area of Overlander Drive are asking the city to make the street between the Coopers shopping complex and The Hamlets at Westsyde a no parking zone in an effort to improve visibility, safety and esthetics.

Vallerie Hitchens has lived in the area for more than 40 years and says while she and her neighbours appreciate having both Coopers and The Hamlets nearby, they are concerned over the safety issue of allowing parking on both sides of the road on Overlander Drive.

“A group of us are very concerned about the safety issues,” Hitchens says, “we are hoping we can avert an accident.”

Hitchens says she often travels through that stretch of road two or three times per day and on three different occasions has witnessed an elderly person with a walker trying to cross the road. One of her friends just recently had to avoid a collision with a pedestrian when someone unexpectedly came out from between parked cars in that stretch.

Close to half the parking lot at Coopers has been allotted for parking use by staff and visitors of The Hamlets, Hitchens says, and there is also a lot underground parking, parking at the rear of the building and the use of Bank Street for on-street parking. All of these lots are underutilized, she says, adding many of the vehicles parked on Overlander appear to be that of staff and visitors.

About 90 per cent of the more than 60 residents that signed a petition asking the city to remove the on-street parking have called the city to complain, Hitchens notes, adding it was recommended the group submit a petition to council.

Hitchens and Karen Nerbus worked together to gather signatures for the petition and contacted Coun. Nelly Dever about the problem.

“Nelly Dever has been great,” Hitchens says, “she really does her homework, and listens.”

Hitchens has heard the city has plans to widen Overlander Drive but does not think that will be enough to improve safety.

“All the petitioners think no parking at all (would be safer.)”

In addition to residential traffic, the roadway is also used regularly by city buses, garbage trucks and delivery trucks, Hitchens says, and because of the parked vehicles she sometimes has to pull over before being able to get through.

“The safety issues, it's worrisome.”

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 819-3723.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013