Ferguson Township’s Board of Supervisors will consider recommended additional parking restrictions on Butz Street in response to neighborhood resident concerns over a soon-to-open new student apartment complex nearby.
The supervisors authorized a parking study in January 2022 after North Butz Street residents expressed worries about what they fear could become “a very serious safety issue,” resulting from overflow parking from the new six-story building across the street at the corner of West College Avenue and South Buckhout Street.
Aspen Heights Partners is developing the apartment complex, now known as Haus State College, which is expected to open for fall occupancy. The new building will have 165 parking spots on site for its 96 units and 268 beds.
Two-hour parking is currently permitted on both sides of North Butz Street between West College Avenue and Grass Alley as well as on South Butz Street between West College Avenue and Calder Alley.
Township engineer Ronald Seybert’s study, which was presented to the board on Tuesday night by Public Works Director David Modricker, recommended several changes to the township parking ordinance make parking on Butz Street more restrictive.
• No parking would be allowed anytime on the east side of North Butz Street from College Avenue to the northern terminus.
• On the west side of North Butz Street, no parking would be permitted for a distance of 50 feet north of College Avenue and from Grass Alley to the northern terminus.
• Two-hour parking would be permitted on the west side of North Butz from a point 50 feet north of College Avenue to Grass Alley.
• No parking would be allowed on the west side of South Butz Street between College Avenue and Calder Alley.
• On the east side of South Butz Street, no parking would be permitted for a distance of 50 feet south of College Avenue.
• Two-hour parking would be permitted on the east side of North Butz from a point 50 feet south of College Avenue to Calder Alley.
“The requested change still permits some on street parking for spillover for local businesses and residents, improves sight distance from private driveways and alleviates concerns with parked vehicles limiting the ability to enter Butz Street safely,” Seybert wrote in the study report.
Residents said last year that if vehicles are parked along both sides to near the intersection, cars turning onto Butz Street need to come to a stop to make the turn in an area where vehicles tend to speed up. A vehicle traveling south on North Butz Street would further exacerbate the situation for those turning onto Butz.
“When the township engineer began this study he did review the concerns with the residents that had expressed the concerns and to the best of his ability tried to reflect those concerns in the restrictions,” Modricker said on Tuesday.
Before the changes can be made, the township must advertise and hold a public hearing for the ordinance amendments. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.
North Butz Street resident Rhonda Stern, who was among those who brought their concerns to the township last year, thanked the township and staff for addressing the issue.
“I just want to say thank you for being concerned about our safety on this street and I look forward to the.. hearing,” Stern said.
