There was talk about surface parking vs preservation, actually not about our situation but about the JCC that wants to expand their surface parking. The block club president suggested they add pick up and drop off zone instead.
Possible Solutions
I was thinking that might be a solution for the church next door. What if they had the 3-4 parking spots in front of the church on Linwood converted into 5-10 minute drop off zone during certain hours. Also, maybe we can fight to get rid of the only single sided parking after 6 or at least extend double sided parking to 9PM so that more people can park during "business hours." Its not like it is a narrow street.
Talking with the church people
We talked to some of the ladies we know from the church and they seemed to understand our situation. I really like them. The one woman said she spoke to Father Armand and tried to explain how we have to deal with it all the time and the people give us trouble and that he doesn't see it all the time.
Either way, someone must have said something because it was totally in order today. People parked and walked their kids to the door. I hope it stays that way.
I still can't believe Father Armand tried to make it a race thing when it is obviously about cars. It makes me wonder what else he blames on other things in his life.
(e:matthew) and the grounds guy
Before the meeting (e:matthew) had a talk with the grounds guy that led us to believe that he and Father A also misunderstood our property line . 10.2 feet of the driveway is ours and 3.5 feet is theirs according to our property map, you can see below. You cannot possibly park anything on 3.5 feet and the preservation district won't let them build more surface parking which leads to the issue they are having.
Maybe the misunderstand comes from an agreement with the original purchasers of the house from the church to share the driveway as part of purchasing the property from the church. According to our contract, those terms did not transfer to us. Specifically worded, "this reservation of rights shall not be covenant that runs with the land and does not bind all successors, heirs or assigns of grantee."
I hope it works out between us and by that I mean, we don't have problems with people blocking or parking in our driveway, they find out some parking solution for them, we are on speaking terms with all the church people. Although, honestly, at this point I could care less if I ever saw Father Armand again after this.
I wrote the newest journal (e:paul,44404) after this but I didn't reply as I am done talking with him directly after that last email.
so did you reply to him yet?
[oh sorry i skipped past the narrative right to the juicy parts]
- Z
I live across the street from an expensive private high school and I have to say it's not noticeably less aggravating or illegal to be blocked out of your driveway by self-entitled white people than it is to be blocked out of your driveway by self-entitled black people. Fortunately for us [sort of], their comings and goings [usually] don't coincide with ours so we don't [often] have to throw down.
Is it that only the dance camp people block your driveway? or is it just that that's who's blocking your driveway when you need to use it?
- Z
always the race card, gotta love it
Just to give a different perspective. If I had a place and leased it out to someone else who had a class there and there where problems with the street, I wouldn't do anything, not because I'm mean but it is a public street I have no control over it. What parents should do is park and walk there kids there or they should do the same thing when they pick them up. I would tell the dance people to tell the parents that. But other then that it is a parking issue that needs to be taken up with the police and the meter people. I would let you know that if anyone parks in your drive way or in the way of it to call cops and have it towed. The Parents are the problem and by the time it goes from you to the church to the class to the parents the message won't mean anything or it might sound different. I don't drive but one thing I have learned from watching someone I know is that yelling from a car doesn't do anything except cause more yelling and maybe a fist fight.
So I say try to get any car that does anything illegal ticketed. It is to bad you can't put something you own in front of your drive way so that it isn't blocked by a car cause it can't block it and you just have to move that small thing out of the way.
I do have one other idea. You should have other people on linwood who see a double parking or driveway blocked to call the cops if they see it. Once two people get a nice ticket they will start parking someplace.
I did point that out. He was obviously lying. On a positive note, there was no one blocking the driveway when I came home today.
ok, you need to point out to him that he said himself that he would need to kick them out if the situation didnt get better in his first email.