Stillwater preserves freedom to park on your lawn

In Stillwater, a person’s home is still his/her parking lot.

The Stillwater Current reports an effort to restrict people who park on their lawn or other “unimproved” surface has been struck down by the City Council last night.

A resident in the city asked the Council to impose the restrictions, claiming parking in the front yard is a “public nuisance of visual blight” that reduces property values.

“I only hear people who oppose this,” Council Member Doug Menikheim said. “I don’t hear people talking on the other side of the issue. If we have a problem, where is it? Until, and unless, I hear other voices, I have to be persuaded to just drop this. Maybe this is the best we can do. There is a problem, but we don’t know what that problem is. I think we just need to put this down for now.”

The council voted down the proposed restrictions on a 3-to-2 vote.