Truck drivers may be allowed to park their rigs overnight on the streets of 91原创's Gloucester Industrial Park, if the Township goes ahead with new plans to free up space for drivers.
Council voted unanimously for staff to develop a one-year pilot program to allow truck parking on select roads in the industrial area in northeast 91原创, just off the Trans Canada Highway.
The search for more parking has become urgent over the past year, as there is a shortage of space where the drivers of large, commercia trucks, including dump trucks and semi tractors, can park their vehicles overnight.
Industrial land is becoming scarce and expensive, and that led to some rural farm properties in the Township setting up unlicensed truck parking depots.
The Township began cracking down on those this year, partly in response to complaints from rural residents who were concerned about increased heavy truck traffic and damage to agricultural land.
Meanwhile, truckers and trucking associations appealed ot the Township to help them find some space locally, as drivers were having to spend hours getting to and from their rigs each day, as space anywhere near where they lived was non-existent.
The Township has already approved a few new temporary truck parking locations on non-ALR land in south 91原创.
Right now, the Township allows on-street parking by trucks, in non-residential zones, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
The proposed change would allow overnight parking in designated areas.
According to Chan Kooner, Township's director of community planning and policy, the municipality if working on several options for how to regulate the parking, whether that would involve permits or an app used by drivers. The Township will look at various pros and cons, he said.
The new rules would add another outlet, and also contain a provision to develop overall guidelines for future temporary truck parking permits, with a focus on undeveloped industrial and commercial sites larger than an acre.
Most councillors were broadly in favour of getting a new policy, but some had questions or concerns about where the parking was located.
"We need a little more focus on Brookswood, Fernridge, and south 91原创 when it comes to these issues," said Councillor Margaret Kunst.
Coun. Barb Martens was concerned that Township staff were using a recent Surrey initiative as a starting point, when that effort failed due to public opposition.
Kooner said that they would be exploring similar issues as Surrey did, and that staff will be reporting back to the council.
Coun. Kim Richter was worried about what happens if a number of temporary use permits are approved now, and then in a few years those sites are developed 鈥� where would the trucks go then?
