Resident asks Rockwall to restrict parking on busy Airport Road after near-miss at baseball fields

A Rockwall resident told the City Council during the Sept. 15 open forum that parking on Airport Road next to the public baseball fields has become a serious safety hazard and asked the city to act quickly.

Patty Griffin, who lives at 2140 Airport Road, said parked vehicles on the four‑lane stretch adjacent to the fields force people — including children — to cross busy traffic and create blocked sight lines. She described an incident Sept. 10 in which a child crossed four lanes unaccompanied and said vehicles in the area routinely drive for available spaces “like they're playing musical chairs.”

Requested responses and staff direction
Griffin asked the council to: order a traffic and safety review of the location, consider immediate no-parking restrictions at the entrance to the ballfield parking lot to preserve sight lines, explore overflow parking on nearby private property, mark a dedicated parking area, institute flashing crosswalks or police enforcement and provide a timeline for action.

City reply
Mayor McCallum acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns and offered to have staff and the police review the location. No formal council action was taken the night of the comment; staff was asked to follow up and report back with options and a traffic-safety study.

Ending
The resident left copies of her written concerns with the council. Councilmembers said they would ask staff to prioritize a safety review and explore short-term enforcement or marking solutions until a larger plan is developed.