By Jacob Wilson/Garden Grove Journal
Westminster is seeing red, so move your car.
The Westminster City Council continued its crackdown on street parking, approving two more parking restriction proposals at its meeting on May 26. The first proposal restricts parking on both the north and south sides of Heil Avenue, west of Venus Drive. This section of Heil Avenue is actually a 405 Freeway service road and ends at the freeway.
According to staff reports, the road is too narrow to safely allow for both parked vehicles and moving vehicles. Maintenance vehicles are not be able to access the road when cars are parked. The curbs on both sides will become red zones.
The second proposal modifies street parking in front of Blakey Historic Park, the home of the Westminster Historical Society. The council voted to remove 150 feet of red-zone parking restrictions on the east side of the park, located at 8612 Westminster Blvd, and to add 47 feet of red-zone restrictions to the west side of the park.
Sanctuary Church is next door to the park. Officials from both the park and the church asked for the changes on the east side to allow for more street parking and a drop-off zone for patrons. But WHS executive director Joy Neugebauer also asked for the new west-side restrictions because parked cars block the views of vehicles exiting the park.
The council did not discuss either item but the votes sparked councilmember Andy Quach to bring up another traffic-related topic. Quach asked to have the traffic commission look into the intersection at Newland Street and 15th Street, citing a recent fatal accident in which a female pedestrian was struck and killed by an oncoming car.
“We need to install a traffic light or a visual crosswalk,” Quach said. “Something is warranted before another accident occurs. It‘s a high jaywalking area.”
A Stater Bros. supermarket is located at that intersection and is a popular destination for area pedestrians and drivers. Fellow councilmember Tyler Diep said that the traffic commission had looked into that intersection before but a signal was not installed because 15th Street is too close to Westminster Boulevard. But the council as whole seemed to agree that a crosswalk was a good idea.
Mayor Margie Rice also agreed with Quach’s request for a new traffic study.
“I know it’s very dangerous and I see people walking across there all the time,” Rice said. “We need to take it back to the traffic commission and have them look at it.”
The council meets again on Wednesday, June 9 at 7 pm. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers at 8200 Westminster Blvd.
