Auburn City Council approved new stop controls at three intersections and a ban on parking unhitched trailers on city streets Thursday, while a downtown business owner returned to press for changes to the city’s digital parking system.
Both traffic ordinances passed unanimously Oct. 1 and take effect immediately under their adopted language. The parking proposal drew no vote.
Three intersections to get new stop controls
North Marvine Avenue at Ross Street Extension will become a three-way stop. In a memo to council, police Sgt. Greg Gilfus said officers observed drivers failing to stop for pedestrians at a crosswalk used by children traveling near Herman Elementary School. Additional crosswalk signs had not resolved the problem, he wrote.
Capitol and Perry streets will become a four-way stop. Police records cited in the meeting packet show eight crashes at the intersection since June 2021, four involving injuries.
A stop sign will also be added for traffic coming from Drummond Street onto North Hunter Avenue. Gilfus said neighbors had raised concerns about visibility and the speed of turning vehicles. Trees that obstructed the view have since been trimmed, according to his memo.
The changes received a first reading last week, when council heard questions about whether stop signs were the right response to the safety concerns. On Thursday, council approved the ordinance 5-0 after a brief discussion. City Manager Jenny Haines said she had contacted the town of Sennett about the portion of the North Hunter Avenue area outside Auburn’s jurisdiction and was awaiting a response.
Unhitched trailers barred from city streets and lots
Council also voted 5-0 to prohibit parking a trailer on a city street or in a city parking lot unless it is attached by a hitch to a registered motor vehicle. The ordinance covers camper, house, storage, equipment and recreational trailers, along with trailers used to carry goods.
Gilfus wrote that police had received more complaints about trailers left on streets. Unsecured trailers could move, extend into travel lanes or obstruct a driver’s view, he said. Before the amendment, police lacked a specific enforcement tool when an unhitched trailer was otherwise legally parked and registered.
The council previewed both ordinances ahead of Thursday’s vote.
Downtown parking remains unsettled
During public comment, Regenerations owner Sue Waby said she and other business representatives had met with city officials about the move toward digital parking payments. She thanked the mayor and city manager for the discussion and said the group continued to seek a solution, including two hours of free downtown parking.
Waby has raised concerns in recent weeks about the cost and ease of using Auburn’s expanded Pango-based system. Thursday’s comments showed that the meeting with officials had happened, but they did not announce a change to parking rates or payment rules.
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