Camas City Council to weigh need for parking restrictions near CHS

City officials are considering eliminating the two-hour parking restrictions currently in place in neighborhoods surrounding Camas High School. Public comment on the proposal will be accepted during a hearing in front of the City Council on Monday, Aug. 1.
The two-hour limits are currently imposed on Northeast 42nd Circle off of Northeast Hayes Street; on Northeast 41st Avenue between Northeast Hayes and Ione streets; Northeast 40th Circle off of Northeast Hayes Street; Northeast 38th Avenue from Northeast Franklin Street to the dead end past Northeast Ione Street; Northeast Hayes Street from Northeast 38th to 43rd avenues; and Northeast Ione Street from Northeast 38th Avenue to the dead end past Northeast 41st Avenue.
A series of two-hour parking limits were originally put into place in many of those neighborhoods in 2005, with additional restricted areas added in 2015 to address concerns from neighbors that included safety, lack of street parking available for residents, and issues with trash, property damage and student loitering.
A letter from the city dated July 20, 2016, informed residents that changes are being considered.
“The Camas School District is currently constructing nearly 200 additional parking spaces at Camas High School to accommodate the student parking demand and attempt to alleviate the on-street parking of students’ vehicles in nearby neighborhoods,” the letter reads. “With these improvements taking place, the city council is considering the elimination of the two-hour parking restrictions from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days that are currently posted in nearby neighborhoods.”
The construction of the 191 new parking spaces, which will be complete in the fall, is being funded by a capital improvement bond approved by voters in February 2016.
CHS, located at 26900 S.E. 15th St., has 430 on-campus student parking spaces, which includes a gravel overflow lot for 55 vehicles.
CHS has approximately 2,000 students. Only juniors and seniors are allowed to park on campus.
In an article in the May 17, 2016, edition of the Post-Record, Principal Steve Marshall said even with the new parking spaces he still expects demand to exceed capacity.
“The size of our incoming freshmen classes have been consistently around 150 students larger than our graduating classes the past few years,” he said. “We have reached a point where our number of drivers has eclipsed our parking spaces.”
The public hearing will be held during the City Council’s regular meeting Monday at 7 p.m., at City Hall, 616 N.E. Fourth Ave.
For more information, visit http://www.cityofcamas.us/index.php/yourgovernment/minuteagendavideo.