No, not even if it’s nicely laminated.
Longtime reader, first-time writer J.D. Mowrer, of Everett, took note of a no-parking sign that popped up on a utility pole outside a restaurant in Marysville. It was hard to miss. The 8.5-by-11 piece of yellow paper was printed in all-capital letters — even covered with plastic to keep it from getting damaged in the rain. It declared the curbside spot on the public street as its restaurant’s “PARKING ONLY” and signed off “THANKS MANAGEMENT.”
“Does the sign have legal merit?” Mowrer wondered.
Um, no.
And the code enforcement division of the Marysville Police Department reached out to the business after hearing about it “to educate them and have the sign removed if it’s still there,” city spokeswoman Connie Mennie said.
There is no legal avenue for a business to get reserved parking on public streets in the city, she added.
The same rules go for Everett.
Everett will consider business’ requests for parking restrictions, such as load-and-unload areas.
“If we determine it is valid, we implement the requested zones, sometimes with certain modifications,” public works spokeswoman Kathleen Baxter said. “Over time, need for zones may change, and we can revise or remove as may be needed.”
What about residential areas?
I’ve seen disabled parking stalls added on house-lined streets in Everett.
Everett residents who have a disabled parking permit can request a reserved spot on a public street near their home, if there is no available off-street parking that is sufficient, Baxter said.
It’s not reserved for the individual, however.
“That space can be used by any valid permit holder,” Baxter said.
There’s no legal requirement for the city to do this. And not every city does.
Since 2015, Marysville has not authorized or installed disabled parking signs in residential neighborhoods, Mennie said. “Such signs are not required by the Americans with Disabilities Act or its current accepted policies.”
Street Smarts: streetsmarts@heraldnet.com, 425-339-3432
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