By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
Groveport City Council is trying to plug a hole in the city’s zoning code regarding the parking of heavy trucks in town.
Council heavily debated and researched the heavy truck parking legislation throughout 2019 and, when first enacted, it prohibited the parking of trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more on city streets and driveways.
But last Oct. 28, council approved a change that revised the ordinance to prohibit heavy trucks from being parked on the city’s residential streets and alleys, but did not restrict them from being parked on private property, such as driveways.
The law does not allow trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more to be parked on residential city streets between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Restricted heavy vehicles may be present when work or deliveries are being done as long as the vehicles are not parked for 12 hours or more.
However, earlier this year Groveport Law Director Kevin Shannon noted the city’s zoning code was not changed when the heavy truck parking law was enacted.
“The zoning code conflicts with the heavy truck parking traffic law,” said Shannon. “We have to have a consistent code. It’s a legislative matter.”
Councilman Ed Dildine said that the zoning code aspect of the situation was “just missed.“
Council is now considering legislation to revise the zoning code to straighten out the matter.
Under the proposed zoning code heavy truck parking legislation, “Not more than one truck limited to being a two-axle, six-tired pick-up, panel, or light truck, used strictly for commercial purposes with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 19,500 pounds shall be allowed per one dwelling.”
The proposed revision also states the vehicle cannot be parked on the front yard of any dwelling and can only be parked on the dwelling’s paved driveway or on a paved surface on the side or rear yard.
Council attempted to pass the revised zoning code legislation as an emergency after its first reading during council’s Feb. 24 meeting, but came up short on the vote. Five votes are needed to approve emergency legislation, but the vote was 4-1 with Councilman Shawn Cleary opposing it. (The sixth council member, Scott Lockett, was out of town and not present at the meeting.)
Cleary told his fellow council members he opposes the legislation because it means, “I can park a bucket truck in my driveway. Is this what you want?”
Council will consider the second reading of the legislation at its March 9 meeting.
City officials said the original heavy truck parking legislation arose because of problems with some large vehicles parking in multiple city neighborhoods. The big trucks block streets causing traffic congestion and making it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through. The vehicles’ weight may damage residential streets and there are issues of aesthetics.
