The Newport City Council debated a proposal to establish 12-hour resident-only parking on several city streets during its meeting Wednesday.
Councilor David Carlin III introduced a resolution requesting the city administration draft an ordinance to create resident sticker parking from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Bridge Street, Marsh Street, Church Street, Touro Street and Morgan Street.
Carlin said residents on these streets, particularly in the Point neighborhood, are “simply fed up” with non-residents parking there, including shipyard employees and short-term rental visitors.
“Many of them do not have driveway parking. They rely on off-street parking,” Carlin said. “Despite the fact that gateway parking is available to said employees, or to their employer, should the employer wish to pay a very reasonable rate for them to park there.”
The proposal faced pushback from several council members who argued it circumvents the city’s established process for implementing resident parking restrictions.
Councilor Jean Marie Napolitano said the current system requires 65% of residents on a street to sign a petition requesting parking changes.
“What do I say to the streets that have gotten it? Because a neighbor went out and they got the petition signed and they talked to their neighbors, didn’t have all the angst and anxiety that we’re getting from this one,” Napolitano said.
Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong defended the council’s authority to take direct action on parking issues, saying the existing process isn’t working for many residents.
“While we can work on fixing the process and making it better in time, what we have the opportunity to do here is to provide some relief to residents who are feeling serious pain right now because of this,” Khamsyvoravong said.
The mayor said he personally canvassed the Point neighborhood and heard from frustrated residents, including a young mother forced to park blocks away from her home.
The council voted down Carlin’s resolution. Several members expressed interest in revisiting the city’s parking policies more comprehensively in the future.
Proposed Resolution
There shouldn’t be any short term rentals in the Point, right? Newport should ban ALL short term rentals except people renting part of the house they occupy full time.