Middletown moves to draft ordinance to ban overnight commercial vehicle parking and raise fines

Chief of Police Joseph Bottarillo told the Board that over the past year the department received repeated complaints about trucks and commercial vehicles parking on residential streets. He said the township’s existing truck-parking ordinance is dated and recommended either updating it or drafting a new ordinance that would define a commercial vehicle, restrict street parking outside manufacturing zones between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and set a $50 fine for commercial-vehicle violations.

Bottarillo said the Citizens Traffic Commission reviewed the issue and unanimously recommended action. He also proposed raising general parking fines from $15 to $25 and increasing snow/emergency and truck-parking fines to $50. “This ordinance will specify what constitutes a commercial vehicle, the hours in which a commercial vehicle can park on a street in a residential area of the township, and the fine for any violations,” the chief said.

A supervisor moved to authorize the township solicitor to draft and advertise the ordinance including the three elements described: prohibition of commercial vehicle parking on streets outside manufacturing districts between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.; raising general parking fines to $25; and increasing snow/ice emergency and truck-parking fines to $50. The motion was seconded, there were no public questions, and the board voted to approve the authorization (vote announced as 5-0).

Next steps: The solicitor will prepare the ordinance language for advertisement and public review; the board will consider the ordinance after the required advertising and public comment period.