Moncrieff Residents Oppose Special No Parking

“There are two other properties on the street with the same setup and they’re not demanding any sign,” protested Desmond Clarke who would see a “No Parking” sign go up in front of his property and another in front of his south-side neighbour. “Why would the Town decide to do it here one time and not do it for the hundreds of places across TMR?”

The property-owner of 999 Moncrieff, Dr. Jean Perrault, claimed that it’s difficult for him to enter and exit his driveway when a vehicle is parked on the south side. “The problem is the curve. People turn on Moncrieff and want to park close to Laird so they’ll just pass the curve in front of my driveway,” he explained.

However, Clarke contended that many street residents have seen the claimant exit his driveway exactly in that situation on several occasions. They also tested that maneuver with a vehicle larger than Dr. Perrault and did it successfully.

At an August 23rd private meeting between Moncrieff residents and Council members, including Mayor Vera Danyluk, both sides were heard as well as Town planners who backed up the doctor’s claim. In a recent interview, Technical Services director Catherine Hirou said that a nearby curve affects maneuvers much more than a straight road and a driveway’s width affects how easy it is to enter and exit.

“It’s a situation that exists elsewhere in the Town,” she explained. “While some residents make their problem known to us, others solve the matter themselves by widening their driveways.”

At the August meeting, Clarke said he noted that Dr. Perrault’s home wasn’t on the curve and twice offered to pay for the widening of Dr. Perrault’s driveway, but he refused the offer. The latter replied that Clarke was supposed to write him about the matter which he never did. When he applied for “No Parking” signs across the street three years ago, Town engineers made the same conclusion as they did this year, he added.

Undertaking his own study, Clarke found only a few local exceptions to the rule – one “No Parking” sign on Brittany near the CHSLD where the no. 119 bus turns 90 degrees; another on Laird opposite Ecole St-Clement due to residents’ complaints; and lastly a laneway about 100 metres west of the Lazard level crossing for access by five residents and service vehicles.

Since three years, residents have asked visitors and service people not to park opposite the claimant’s driveway as a good will gesture, Clarke added.

Resident Norman Hall noted that the claimant put in a stone on the corner of his driveway at that time to discourage people from using his driveway. However, it also made it hard for him to back out, he added. And just days before the August 23rd meeting, that stone was removed by men in TMR safety jackets and new grass put in, Hall said.

Out of the 11 Moncrieff residents who attended that two-hour meeting, 10 favoured keeping the parking status quo and suggested a few alternatives. (There are 15 homes on the small street). Many left with the feeling that the Town had already made up its mind to favour the change, Clarke said.

While two “No Parking” signs have already been installed across from Dr. Perrault’s, residents there still wonder about the Town’s rationale behind its decision and how democratic it was. When Clarke asked the mayor about the reasons, she said the matter had already been settled.

“There are at least 20 reasons why they shouldn’t have made this decision,” Clarke declared. “Any one of them would have been enough not to make the change.”

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