With neighboring Denfeld High School closed for the school year, Diane Andresen was dumbfounded last week to receive a notice from the city that it was time to purchase permits so she could park on the street outside her home.
From day one, Andresen was no fan of the permit system.
"It irritates me because I'm already paying property taxes, including taxes to build a new parking lot for students. Why should I have to pay extra just to park on my own street or to have company visit, especially when our school is not even open this year?" she asked.
To address parking problems, Duluth has established resident-only parking zones around some of the city's most vehicle-congested high schools and colleges. People living in these areas can purchase permits for their own wheels at a cost of $5 per year and also can buy guest permits, for a few dollars apiece, to place on visitors' vehicles. This system was developed to keep neighborhoods from being overrun by student vehicles.
But this year, Denfeld students will attend Central High to allow for an extensive overhaul and expansion of the school.
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No student vehicles, no problem, thought Helen Silvernale, another neighbor to Denfeld. Then, she received a letter from the city last week indicating that permit enforcement would continue with or without students at Denfeld.
"I think it's ridiculous. I thought for sure they weren't going to require them this year," she said. "It's crazy."
People complained, and Mayor Don Ness listened. On Thursday afternoon, he announced plans to suspend the Denfeld permit parking zone.
"It's not fair to residents to make them pay for a permit that has no purpose," Ness said. "Staff were doing their job by sending out the notices as required by ordinance, but clearly these are unusual circumstances, and it requires us to adapt."
The mayor said he has directed staff members to notify Denfeld residents of the parking program's suspension. Denfeld residents who already had purchased permits will receive a refund or a credit for next year.
Jay Fosle, who represents the Denfeld neighborhood on the Duluth City Council, said he had been "bombarded by e-mails and phone calls" from frustrated constituents and was extremely pleased to learn of Ness' policy reversal Thursday.
Back in May, Fosle had recommended the city suspend the parking permit program around Denfeld this year in light of the school's temporary closure.
But he was advised by City Engineer Cindy Voigt that the cost of removing, temporarily storing and then re-installing resident-only parking signs from the neighborhood would probably run about $1,200.
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On Thursday, Ness said he had a less expensive solution, recommending that bags simply be slipped over the parking signs for the coming school year.
