Cadieux residents seek parking solution
Cadieux Road residents seeking "wholeness" after losing their right to park on their street have received some encouraging signs, but acknowledge they may never get what they're looking for.
Greg Jakub, who is acting as spokesman for the residents, sent out an e-mail outlining the official response to their complaint. Grosse Pointe Park officials are are sympathetic, he said, and perhaps willing to back them up with a resolution of support. But, he said, "it's out of their hands."
Cadieux Road, which serves as the border between the City and the Park, is being resurfaced this summer. Cadieux as it exists is 2.5 feet too narrow to allow one-side parking with two-way traffic, under Michigan Department of Transportation rules. Newly resurfaced streets are supposed to be even wider, leaving the city no choice but to bring it into compliance, according to Paul Weitzel, public service director for the City. Because the $500,000 reconstruction project, begun this spring and nearing completion in July, was 80 percent financed by MDOT, it is "probably not" open to negotiation with the state, Weitzel said last week.
Jakub isn't giving up. "I hope there's a win-win solution in here somewhere," he said, acknowledging full restoration of parking is probably a thin reed to hang residents' hopes upon. "'Wholeness' is going back to the way it was. Realistically, we may have to lose something."
At this point, the residents "would just like to get to the table" with the cities, Jakub said. "They have the power; what are some of their solutions?"
Jakub's e-mail to other residents follows:
I received a personal phone call this morning from GPP Mayor Palmer Heenan and Mayor Pro-Tem Greg Theokas. This is essence of their message:
1) GPP had no knowledge of a plan to eliminate parking and was not part of any discussion or decisions with GP City to eliminate parking on Cadieux.
2) Mr. Heenan and Mr. Theokas said they both agree with our position that eliminating parking creates a major problem for GPP and GPCity residents on Cadieux and for residents on surrounding streets in terms of creating a parking shortage for residents and their guests. They said they never would have supported such a change had they been involved in the decision. They did say they were involved in discussions about the grant funds for repaving but were not aware of any regulations attached to the grant that require elimination of parking.
3) They advised GP City residents to show up at GP City Council meetings to make our objections heard since GP City initiated the project and the decision to ban parking. They said that if necessary, they believed that the GPP Council would support their residents on Cadieux with a formal resolution that supports maintaining parking on Cadieux. They agreed to send me an email next week confirming their support position that they communicated to me by phone today. Mr.Theokas recommended that we communicate their support for maintaining parking on Cadieux to other residents.
I thanked them for their prompt response to our letter and told them that GPC leaders have received our letter but have not yet responded. I also told them that I would communicate to our neighbors their non-participation in the plan to eliminate parking. I also told them I would keep them posted on our efforts and ask for their support in the future.
This response from GPP leaders indicates that we are getting some positive traction for our efforts. Keep in mind that while the GPP leaders say they are supportive, they are also saying that they have no power to decide on changing the parking ban. That power is in the hands of GP City leaders and we need to continue pressuring them to find a win-win solution.
