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Parking on road limited in Ross
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Ross commissioners have modified the "no parking" zone on Fairley Road.
Some residents of the street had asked commissioners to extend the parking prohibition because parked cars were blocking their mailboxes and because the street is too narrow for emergency vehicles to get through when cars are parked there.
"This prohibits parking on the narrowest portion of the roadway," police Chief Robert Bellan said of the resolution council approved Monday. "Parking will be allowed on both sides at the widest part of the roadway. We're trying to strike a happy medium."
The actions support a traffic study conducted by the township, he said.
The resolution also gets rid of a handicapped parking space on the street because the resident who had the space has died, solicitor Bonnie Brimmeier said.
The resolution passed on a 7-0 vote, with Chris Eyster abstaining and Peter Ferraro absent.
In other business, commissioners heard a presentation from Brett Hoffman, a member of Boy Scout Troop 181, about an Eagle Scout project in the township.
Brett told commissioners that he plans to paint house numbers on the curbs on four township streets: Berwyn, Cardiff, Colwyn and Penbryn. Sixty houses are involved.
"If there is ever an emergency, people can see the numbers without looking at the houses," he said.
Commissioner Lana Mazur said the project was a good idea.
During a committee meeting that preceded the voting meeting, commissioners heard a presentation from attorney Daniel S. Cohen, who was asked by the North Hills Council of Governments to review franchise fees paid to communities by Comcast and Verizon cable companies.
It would cost Ross $8,000 to $10,000 to participate, depending on how many municipalities take part in the review.
Previous reviews found $75,000 in unpaid fees for McCandless and $287,000 in unpaid fees for four South Hills municipalities, Mr. Cohen said. There is no guarantee the review will uncover unpaid fees, he added.
It would cost Ross $8,000 to $10,000 to participate, depending on how many municipalities take part in the review.
"We will look under every stone and, even if we don't find anything, it will send a message to the cable operators ... that Ross Township is going to hold them accountable," he said.
Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the matter Aug. 6.
"I think it is a good idea," Commissioner Dan DeMarco said. "We should do this audit, obviously, to make sure we aren't getting ripped off."
The township's agreements with Comcast and Verizon run through 2019.
Commissioners also debated a proposal by Mr. DeMarco that would either ban smoking in parks or limit it to certain areas.
"This is a matter of individual health," he said. "Also, our parks seem to be littered with cigarette butts and that will alleviate that, too."
Ms. Mazur said the township doesn't have enough police officers to enforce such a ban.
Commissioner Gerald O'Brien described it as "big brother."
"I'll be honest with you -- some of the people's perfume in the park is more offensive to me than cigarette smoke," he said. "Can I get that banned?"
Mr. O'Brien said he will write an article in the township magazine, asking smokers to be considerate of others in the parks.
First Published July 19, 2012 5:20 am
