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TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Township Council plans to discuss an overnight parking ordinance on Sept. 9 that would allow exemptions for specific parking “hardships” and permit overnight parking only under certain circumstances, officials said.
Police Chief John Calamari stated he would present a draft ordinance for inclusion in councilors’ packets for review at the next meeting. The issue of overnight parking arose following recent complaints from certain areas of town where cars were parked overnight, he said.
He noted that several Bergen County towns have ordinances permitting overnight parking exemptions under specific conditions defined in their ordinances.
The township ordinance does not allow exemptions, but the chief said that “past practice” has long permitted overnight exemptions, with recent allowances of up to six days of overnight parking per month when residents log into the police department’s online overnight parking database. A highlighted link is available on the department’s website.
Under the current ordinance, parking on local streets is prohibited between 2 and 5 a.m. However, the township allows homeowners to park a vehicle overnight occasionally if they register it in the township’s online database, called Frontline System.
Calamari mentioned that some eight to 10 residents have contacted the police about not being able to accommodate the number of vehicles their family has in the home’s driveway. He said the proposed ordinance would enable police officers to investigate a homeowner’s hardship application based on specific criteria outlined in the ordinance.
He added that some residents have a single-lane driveway, making off-street parking inconvenient, especially when cars need to be moved at different times in the morning.
The chief said the ordinance would allow police officers to verify how many registered vehicles are at a specific household and whether the number exceeds the driveway’s capacity. He indicated a preference for the ordinance to grant the police chief the authority to exempt homeowners, when needed, from the parking restrictions.
Calamari stated that the convenience of parking on the street has “led to abuses” of the existing parking ordinance. He emphasized that the parking hardship ordinance will be based on specific criteria rather than discretion. During emergencies or severe weather events, police officials noted they could allow residents to park on front lawns if necessary.
Additionally, officials reminded residents that all cars must be removed from the street during snow emergencies or other severe weather events, as required by local authorities. Those who do not comply will be ticketed, they said.