Resident urges Columbia to codify River Park summer parking rule after decades of informal practice
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Summary
A longtime resident told council that a 2003 ordinance restricts vehicle parking at River Park and asked the borough to codify the de facto Memorial Day–Labor Day parking allowance if no formal amendment can be found.
A Columbia resident told the borough council on Sept. 23 that the parking rules for River Park are unclear and urged an ordinance amendment or formal codification of the long-practiced seasonal parking allowance.
Mary Wickenheiser reviewed the borough code history for River Park, saying the original 2003 ordinance (then Article 2, §87–14–1) prohibited vehicle parking except for vehicles with trailers but that later practice allowed vehicle parking from Memorial Day through Labor Day. "If no one can find [a formal amendment], I've requested through a right-to-know... I would strongly urge this council... that something be done to codify that, to make that a regulation on paper," she said.
Wickenheiser said she spent hours searching River Park advisory notes and the ordinance book and asked the council to retrieve minutes of the May meeting that might explain any change. Council members said they recalled a written ordinance being prepared but not published and agreed to search borough records and, if necessary, codify the seasonal exception so residents and users have a clear rule.
Why it matters: River Park usage and parking affect residents and visitors; ambiguity in the code can create enforcement and equity concerns. Codifying an informal seasonal rule would clarify parking enforcement and set public expectations.
Meeting context: The matter was raised during public comment and prompted staff and council to check borough ordinance records and meeting minutes; no formal action was taken but council asked staff to research and report back.