Lebo commissioners expand parking restrictions near high school
Popular side streets near Mt. Lebanon High School will no longer be an option for student drivers to park in as commissioners unanimously voted to implement parking restrictions originally proposed by the traffic engineer. The unanimous vote Feb. 14 also came with the amendment that municipal officials would explore additional spots to accommodate student parking in both the Dixon Field and commissioner lots.
The commission previously prioritized safety while minimizing the prohibited area to only the triangular-shaped configuration on Main Entrance, Circle and Lebanon Hills drives for the three-month trial basis that prevented parking Monday through Friday from 7 to 9 a.m.
The new restrictions will extend farther down Main Entrance Drive and onto Outlook Drive during the same times throughout the week.
“We will always have problem parkers, but if we don’t solve this holistically we are just going to push the problem around,” Commissioner Dave Brumfield said. “I thought that by shrinking restrictions we developed a good test process. I’m a little bothered by the fact that we are bumping this up to now, especially with the fact that we know how difficult it is to get student input on these situations. I don’t by any means discount the problem.”
However, complaints from homeowners living deeper in those neighborhoods, where students have now begun to park because of the previous restrictions, are creating safety concerns by essentially turning areas into one-way streets.
The parking problem originated from the high school renovation project in which the district extended availability in the lot owned by Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church. However, students were choosing to park on side streets as an alternative method for a faster escape after school.
Students without parking passes, which cost $75 at the beginning of the school year, can still purchase a prorated pass at a cheaper rate and the district issues short-term passes when emergencies arise for no cost, according to high school Principal Brian McFeeley.
McFeeley also said there has been no feedback from students regarding the $75 fee for a parking pass and there numerous spots in the church parking lot for students that aren’t being used on a daily basis.
“It’s a simple matter for me at this point,” Commissioner John Bendel said. “The residents are being impacted unnecessarily. There is access to parking and permits. If the students didn’t have any other alternatives then we could take a deeper dive and a longer look.”
Residents have complained about their frequent inability to access their driveways and receive municipal amenities, such as leaf removal and snow plowing.
Problems might subside after completion of the high school renovation project that is expected to be completed in May and the south lot reopened, according to McFeeley.
The restricted parking will be re-evaluated after the six-month trial basis concludes.