The Salem Lakes Village Board may consider creating eight car and boat trailer parking spots near the village’s Silver Lake boat launch.
But in the meantime, the village found further justification for its parking ban in the area that it intended to enact after its last meeting.
The Village Board voted Aug. 13 to remove signage that allows boat and trailer parking on parts of Manor and Glenwood drives near the launch.
But Monday village administrator Patrick Casey said research by staff uncovered an ordinance passed in 1989 that prohibited parking in that area. Since no ordinance was formally passed to change that ordinance the board did not actually need to do anything but remove signage and enforce the existing prohibition.
Parking in the area was allowed as a temporary fix in recent years by the old Silver Lake Village Board.
Before the board was able to move on to the next agenda item Trustee Bill Hopkins, who lives in Silver Lake, said he wanted to consider creating permitted parking in the area. Permits in his vision could only be purchased by Salem Lakes residents.
Hopkins’ plan also hinges on being able to pave shoulder areas where parking would be permitted and proper striping. That could be paid for by an estimated $40,000 savings in this year’s paving program.
“If we pave and stripe, it will show people how to park,” Casey said.
The board will wait to see if the paving savings materialize before pursuing the permit proposal.
