QUESTION
Landscaper issues
02/04/2021
I have an issue with landscapers pulling large trailers and parking in the street. With the trailers they cannot pull into driveways and historically have parked in front of the unit being worked on. The issue I run into is multiple contractors working at the same time in the same are causing traffic flow issues. This becomes a bigger issue when it is multiple vehicles but on alternating sides of the street.
Has anyone else in the group ran into this issue before that can offer a solution that works? I know some communities use odd and even number address on alternating days, this will not work for us as our numbers run numerically up one side and then down the other.
Sandestin – Jimmy Willis
REPLIES
John Grusemeyer – Shadow Wood
We have the same exact issues quite often. Periodically, give the landscapers(English & Spanish) flyers telling them to; park on the same side of the street as other vendors, do not park in the cul-de-sacs, don’t litter, and don’t speed. Additionally, while the patrol officers are making their rounds, they will approach and remind the vendors if need be and cite those who park in the cul-de-sacs. For the cul-de-sacs, we’ve made it pretty simply by applying the self-adhesive, yellow reflective markers on the roadway at the entrance of the cul-de-sac indicating where parking starts and stops. The markers are the same ones they use for the fire hydrants except they are yellow instead of blue. We’ve included in some of our emails to residents a request for them to assist us with the parking in the streets by reminding the vendors that are performing services for them.
In combination, all these little things have helped quite a bit but hasn’t cut it out completely.
Mark Chapman – Stonelake Ranch
Good luck trying to get a handle on this, as I have the same issues but with contractors. We are still very active building and we do not allow parking in the right of way, so once the home gets to landscape and finishing items, my streets get clogged up fast. Our rule is you must park on the side of the street you are working on and all must follow. So if you have to walk a long distance, get to work earlier then.
Josh Bieri – Loblolly
Seems like quite the conundrum you have presented.
When we have that issue here (and it is not daily) we go out and have people move.
We educated the vendors when they arrive when they park to make sure its all on one side of the road. Leave room for a fire truck.
Here we encourage street parking. When parking on the street they must not disconnect their trailers and also must have cones for the vehicle and trailer.
If we have a handful of construction on a street and parking becomes an issue, we can enforce and older rule that limits a homeowner to 3 work vehicles at a time. The rest would park off property or another home they are working at and get shuttled back and forth as needed.
These are just some thoughts, hopefully this along with other responses will help you create a solution you can you.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
David Weatherwax – Hilton Head
The issue of whether or not it will be allowed to park on the street, or if it is mandatory to park in the driveway of the residence in question, that is for the POA or appropriate committee to decide. If it is decided that the only place contractors can park is on the street, there is no way to prevent traffic issues. What your department will need to do is identify potential issues while on patrol and have them move to avoid the issue. Also when there is a complaint, respond and move whichever contractor vehicle(s) you feel should be moved. If they have to move 100 ft down the road, too bad, they don’t have a right to block traffic or make traffic be a safety concern.
Contractors will do whatever they can get away with.
Elizabeth Sandifer – Avila
This is one of our biggest challenges we have not solved however we do require them to use cones and get on the driveway when they can
Daniel O’Connell – Williams Island
We only have one contracted service on this Island.
I am all High rises no single family homes.
Tim Cook – The Landings
Park on one designated side of the street however you can work that out without using addresses. Say North or West Side and then South and East side, etc.
I have also seen some communities mandate that the truck and trailer had to be disconnected. The truck or trailer could park in the street and then the other park in the driveway. Man, did the vendors bitch at that rule. Simple response – safety first. Have a nice day.
Nathan Fuentes – Porto Vita
No answer for you on that one. That is a tough situation when you have homes on both sides of the street.
I would think it is best for you to write a letter to management/board and have a meeting to discuss possible solutions. Then have a solution voted on by board members. Hope, your board members understand your issues and the safety concerns.
Orlando Ortiz – Old Marsh
Instead of odd even, just go with East West, left or right.
Trying to figure out vendor schedule is to unpredictable due to weather.
We understand how difficult it can be. And we use odd even.
Paul Abrams – Lost Tree Village
We allow parking on the side streets only and not on the main roadways. This allows the trailers to park close to the sites they are servicing and not right in front. Many of them service a good amount of the same homes, so they will walk or drive the mowers to and from the trailer.
Ryan Bell – Fiddlesticks
We have this issue as well. It is compounded by the county utilities replacing the water mains throughout the community. We have not come up with a good solution. Good luck ?
Joe Starns – CC of Louisiana
We just have a reg that you may only park on 1 side of the street (within visual distances) which keeps patrol fairly busy but most contractors learn pretty quickly. We average around 400 construction entries a day so I absolutely understand you problem.
Larry Lemon – Pipers Landing
We use the odd/even side of the road for the most part.
Robert Modica – Orchid island
We have coordinated with landscapers and residents that a certain day of the week service can be provided to an area or street, thus reducing congestion for remainder of week.
Its working!
Dennis Marinan – Trump National
Here, there are only 82 Residential homes (POA) and 50 fractionally owned homes (COA). The POA is contracted with one landscaping company and the COA is contracted with one landscape company. Both of these companies use the same type of trucks and trailers you describe. The benefit of one company keeps the amount of landscape trucks to a minimum on a daily basis.
We do use an odd even side of the road parking restriction here and I understand your dilemma. All my residential roads start from the main road in the property and end in cul de sacs…so the practices we use here might not work for you. Can you tell the contractors to park on the left or right side of the road depending on the odd or even number of the month? For example…
- January – odd numbered month – all parking on the left side of the street (as you pull onto the street)
- February – even numbered month – all parking on the right side of the street (as you pull onto the street)
Your property is probably much larger in size and number of streets and houses but try keeping it simple.
Louis Chiapetta – Audubon
We just tell them all to park on the same side of the road
