To the Editor:
I’d like to echo the concerns expressed in last week’s Observer by Mr. Munley about the parking problems in Kearny.
I live in the First Ward. Parking is nothing short of horrendous. While there are a variety of reasons for this, Mr. Munley points to one that I, too, have expressed to our elected officials. On my block alone, I know of at least four illegal apartments, with people living in basements and attics in homes that are not zoned for more than two families.
By the way, information on zoning is available to the public.
So you have maybe 12-16 people living in a house zoned for no more than say, 10. And these additional “renters” have a family car — perhaps two. Translation — no parking. And some apartments have 8-10 people living in them. Add a few cars. Translation — no parking.
The parking notwithstanding, isn’t there a health and safety issue here? Would a call to a building inspector or perhaps a state-level agency be in order here?
Oh and I’ve been told that “while impolite and inconsiderate,” it is not actually illegal for one car to be obviously taking up more than one parking spot. I believe the term is “saving spots.” Forget garbage cans — these folks use an entire vehicle to claim their turf!
Homeowners in Kearny pay extraordinary property taxes. I won’t get started on the value received — that’s a topic for another day. But shouldn’t at least one of the things to be returned to the homeowner and legal renters be at least the smallest possibility of a parking space somewhere close to the vicinity of your home?
I see that there is a public meeting scheduled for Tuesday June 21. I wish I could be there but I work nights. So, I’ll go to work and then drive around for an hour or so when I get home praying someone pulls out of their parking spot.
Not likely at 10 p.m.
Sean McDonald
Kearny
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