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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Signs installed to regulated rec center traffic

Jun 19, 2017 10:56AM ● By Cassie Goff

Residents living in the neighborhoods across from the recreation center have expressed frustration with the increased traffic during the summer months. (Google Maps)

By Cassie Goff  |   [email protected]

During the summer months, the neighborhoods across the street from the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center experience a substantial increase of parked cars in front of resident homes. One of the major attractions at the rec center is their outdoor pool, which is only open during the summer.

Some of the residents from these neighborhoods expressed frustration with the rec center’s influx of traffic to the city. City Manager John Park and staff worked with these residents to hopefully provide a solution.

After observing the traffic, Park and staff realized that one of the rec center’s parking lots was not being fully utilized. The rec center is located on 7500 South 2700 East. When approaching the rec center from the north, heading south, the first visible parking lot is rather small, with only about three rows of parking. However, on the opposite side of the rec center a much larger parking lot is shared with Butler Middle School. This is the parking lot not being fully utilized. After realizing this potential root of the parking problem, city staff wondered if rec center visitors were either unaware of or unsure about the southern parking lot.

Since space was readily available for rec center visitor parking, the city provided a solution for residents concerned about parking. They decided to erect a number of specified “No Parking” signs along the residential roads.

During the last week of May, the Cottonwood Heights Public Works staff installed numerous “No Parking” signs along Banbury Road and its adjoining streets. During their installation, many neighbors came out to the curb to discuss the proceedings with the public works employees.

 The signs specify there is no parking between Memorial Day and Labor Day from noon to 6 p.m. Each sign has an accompanying sign underneath, which states “additional parking available south of the rec center.”

Unfortunately, the signs have not been as effective as many neighbors and city staff members had hoped. “There has been evidence of visual impairment or total disregard with some people parking within feet of the signs during restricted hours,” said Assistant Manager Bryce Haderlie.

Since these signs have been up, “there have been mixed citizen comments,” Haderlie said.

City staff and residents will have to wait for the summer to heat up and the pool attendance to rise to see just how big of an impact the signs will have in redirecting cars to the underutilized lot.