Apr 27, 2015 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – Illegal parking on roads throughout Franklin Township has become a problem especially now as road crews are preparing to begin their summer maintenance work.

As a result, the Franklin Township supervisors said Monday that municipal officials will begin citing people who illegally park along township roads.

The practice has created problems not only when the township has to plow roads in the winter but also when it has to complete roadwork, Supervisor John Higgins said.

In some places, parked vehicles also have made it difficult for delivery trucks to get through on the road, he said.

“It’s become a safety issue,” said Steve Coss, township code enforcement officer.

The township can cite a property owner who parks his vehicle on the road under an ordinance that requires each home owner to have at least two off-street parking spaces for his vehicles, Coss said. Spaces also are needed for each additional vehicle the person may own.

The fine for violating the ordinance is determined by the district judge, but can be as much as $1,000 with repeated offenses, he said. Coss said he already has mailed letters to about a half dozen property owners warning them about parking on the street. He plans to begin citing people for parking on the roadways in mid-May, he said.

Roads that the township has received complaints about parking include Zimmer, Rinehart and Shadow Oaks lanes, and Colonial, Champion and Lahew drives, Coss said.

The supervisors also reminded owners of rental properties to make sure they contact Advanced Disposal for refuse collection when a tenant moves in or out of a residence. Supervisor Reed Kiger said Advanced Disposal often isn’t notified when a tenant moves out which later creates billing issues with new tenants.