Parking and traffic have become a major issue in Germantown and Salemtown, and neighborhood leaders and residents have planned to work together to figure out a long-term solution.
The president of the Historic Germantown Neighborhood Association said there will be a mobility task force made up of both neighborhood associations.
"We want to focus on all of the mobility issues simultaneously, so if we come up with a master plan, it won't be just for one spot," HGNA President Richard Audet told NewsChannel 5.
Audet has lived in Germantown for nine years and watched the opening of businesses and residential properties increase traffic.
With growth has come the lack of parking spaces for residents.
"It's a problem that nobody has tried to resolve," Audet added.
For the first time in Germantown, a resident who lives on Taylor Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue North has requested a residential parking permit.
The goal has been to designate the space outside of the house for only residents and not visitors. In order to apply, Metro Public Works has required an application process that includes a petition from residents in the area and approval from the district's council member who will submit it to the office.
District 19 Councilman Freddie O'Connell has been on board and has planned to submit the paperwork later this week.
"We welcome visitors to our community, and yet residential parking denies access parking to those visitors," Audet said. "It's not a win-win situation."
Final approval for the residential parking permit normally takes within 30 to 45 days, according to Metro Public Works.
"We figure out what we can do to assure that neighbors are satisfied and that the road is safe as can be for drivers," Metro Public Works Spokesperson Jenna Smith told NewsChannel 5.
Residents have noticed not only a lack of parking spots but packed streets impacting visibility. Streets are so narrow, it has posed a safety concern.
"People have to stop so the other person can go around, so it's just insane," Pamela Boylan, a Germantown resident said. "It's dangerous for my two kids."
Audet has hoped to have a planning meeting with the mobility task force after Labor Day.
To learn more about the residential parking permit application, click on this link.
