Council moves parking restrictions on 300 North to public hearing after cemetery-parking concerns

The Willard City Council on May 28 directed staff to schedule a public hearing on Ordinance 20 26-10, a proposed amendment to chapter 18.12 of the city code that would prohibit parking on 300 North, and asked staff to draft an explicit exception for parking near the old cemetery.

Mayor Pro Tem (speaker 1) introduced the item, reading the ordinance language and noting it had been in the council packet in redlined form. Council members and staff discussed practical concerns: the road is narrow through much of the canyon, the council wants a defined off-street area by the cemetery for visitors, and there is a risk that missing or stolen signs would create enforcement ambiguity. Staff reported a measurement of the corridor at about 0.58 miles and recommended that the ordinance include language that parking is allowed “unless signed or posted” for authorized cemetery parking and that staff would measure and mark a clear start point for no-parking signage.

A number of council members said they prefer clear signage on both sides of the road to prevent confusion if a stolen sign creates the impression parking is allowed. Council members also discussed enforcement limits — staff called theft of signage an infraction — and asked that the ordinance be drafted so that the cemetery parking area (on the north side immediately adjacent to the gravesites) be explicitly allowed while the rest of the corridor is posted "no parking." Staff said they would prepare language reflecting those directions and post appropriate signs once the ordinance is in place.

After discussion, a council member moved and another seconded to set Ordinance 20 26-10 for a public hearing; the council carried the motion by voice vote. The council asked staff to return the revised ordinance with precise measurements and proposed signage for the scheduled hearing.

The council did not vote to adopt the ordinance at the May 28 meeting; it voted only to set the matter for a public hearing. The public hearing will proceed pursuant to the city's public-notice timeline and is scheduled consistent with the two-week posting requirement.