Skyline Parking In The Air Again

by Tiffany Turner

Local attorney Neal Stelting met with the Pinedale Town Council Monday both as a homeowner and as the attorney for the Homeowner’s Association for the townhomes overlooking Pinedale on Skyline Drive.

Skyline Drive, the road along the front façade of the development, has signs posted for no parking, allowing only parking in the designated off-street parking provided.

According to Stelting, there are two parking spaces for each residence in the development and when the primary residents own two cars it leaves no room for any guests to visit and have available parking. According to Stelting, the reason for the no parking in the past has been given as that the road is only 50 feet wide and therefore, with the curve at the entrance, it is unsafe for on-street parking.

“Several of the old subdivisions, even a lot of them, have 50-foot widths,” Stelting said. “There is parking allowed on both sides of those streets.”

Stelting requested that Town Council allow visitors to park on one side of Skyline, the side that the town homes are on, which would allow ample room for driving on that road.

“There is ample room to park there without impinging on traffic,” Stelting said.

Stelting also requested the ability for development guests and resident to park on a triangular piece of property at the intersection of Skyline and Pinedale East Road. The property belongs to the city and, in good weather would “alleviate part of the problem.”

According to Pinedale Public Works’ Ron Hanson, the triangular piece in the winter is used for snow removal but in summer he did not see a large issue with parking there.

“I can look at it,” he said. “But I am against it all.”

Council explained to Stelting when the project was first brought before council, the question of parking was addressed and the townhomes’ developer assured council there would be ample offstreet parking and no street spaces would be needed if the project were approved.

“This is the perfect example of a developer snowballing the council into making a decision because you trust somebody,” Councilman Dave Smith said.

After listening to safety concerns by neighbors on Skyline, Mayor Steve Smith and the council agreed to look into the option of allowing more parking options during the summer and good weather only, as the parking would impede snow removal in the winter.

“Frankly, it is a very difficult situation,” Mayor Smith said. “ I doubt Mr. Stelting came expecting an answer tonight... but I will look into it.”

Other Town Council items:

• Time-limited parking was granted to the Sublette County Visitors Center to help alleviate parking issues of people using spaces for indefinite amounts of time and leaving no available parking for new visitors as they arrive.

• Phase IV and Phase V of the Pinedale sewer system design was approved and bids were accepted for Rio Verde and WLC Engineering for the projects. The two projects’ designs will total nearly $1 million.

• The $500 permit fee for an illuminated sign was waived for Tip Top Search and Rescue.

• The final plat amendment for land purchased by the town for a park extension was approved. The lot had been promised to a previous owner when James Bowles, who sold the property to the town, originally purchased it.