PIEDMONT — Former Piedmont Councilman Pat Amoroso appealed to the mayor and commissioners Wednesday to rescind their vote to approve a handicapped parking space in front of the town's designated handicapped townhouse.
The council had approved the parking spot at their Nov. 11 meeting when Housing Commissioner Bob Fike told his fellow commissioners about the request from the Piedmont Housing Authority.
“Why we never had a handicapped space in front of a designated handicapped townhouse, I don't know,” he said at the time.
The mayor and council approved the request that night with little discussion.
Wednesday, however, Amoroso said he feels the placement of the parking spot, coupled with the Housing Authority's rumored plans to block off the current parking lot because of a garbage problem, is going to cause a lot of problems.
“If they close that lot, they're going to force the parking out onto Lyons Street,” he said, noting that the few available spots on Lyons Street are usually full.
“At the most, you can get 10 cars on Lyons Street, and it's packed most times of the day. It's going to create a problem,” he said.
“A lot of the cars that park there now are illegally parked,” he added.
He feels that designating one of those spots as handicapped-only will just add to the situation.
Amoroso also said the resident of the handicapped designated home would be safer if the handicapped parking spot would be placed behind the house instead of in front.
“His access and his ramp are out back,” he said.
Councilman Mickey Racco noted that the resident “has to come out in the road” to get to the handicapped spot in front.
“I don't have a problem with handicapped parking ... but I think this was a knee-jerk reaction,” Amoroso said.
“All I'm asking is for the town to reconsider its decision.”
Racco, who was not present when the request was approved at the Nov. 11 meeting, called the decision “ill advised.”
“Somebody just didn't think too far,” he said.
The request was approved by council members Fike, Brian Redman, and Justin Shears. Only Shears was present at Wednesday's meeting, along with Racco and Chuck Dawson.
Mayor Ebbie Gilmore said he felt the council “needs to re-visit” the decision.
In another parking-related issue, Shears asked if the parking spots in front of both the First United Bank and Tri-Towns Variety could be given a special business designation to cut down on their use by residents of nearby apartments. Suggestions included “business parking only” signs or limiting the time that vehicles may park there.
"The people in those apartments sometimes park there for two or three days at a time," he said, noting that the lot behind the bank is often full.
He told his fellow commissioners that one day he had seen one elderly woman have to park up above L&M Plumbing and walk down to the bank.
"We have to help the businesses any way we can," Dawson agreed.
Mayor Ebbie Gilmore said he would have the police chief look at the situation.