Glen Osborne officials consider changes to parking in the town

Changes to parking in Glen Osborne may be coming amid growing concerns about the narrow roads used by emergency services.

The council has postponed the amendment to the parking regulations until September so that residents and emergency services can discuss this.

Changes to the ordinance include a parking ban on the north side of Colonial Place and the west side of Grandview Way.

The old signs for ‘reserved’ parking spaces in residential areas would also be removed and those zones would be ‘deleted’.

The parking ordinance was on the agenda of the July 16 meeting.

Council Chairman Thomas Huddleston said delaying the action would give more people a chance to be heard.

“Concerns were raised about the ability of emergency vehicles to get through Colonial Place,” Huddleston said. “The city, in collaboration with the police and fire departments, is proposing to restrict on-street parking. We have postponed this until September to give residents the opportunity to present their concerns and options.”

Councilmember Holly Merriman and Mary Scalercio were also absent from the meeting.

Brian Herskovitz, EMS chief for the Valley Ambulance Authority and the Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority, said the parking changes are proactive and that no requests for ambulance transport have been received on the previously mentioned streets.

“Safety must be our top priority,” Herskovitz said. “In emergency situations, any delay in response time can have serious consequences. The fact that the city is considering changing its parking ordinance to address these concerns is a necessary step to ensure that all emergency services can operate without hindrance.”

“I encourage all community members to stay informed and participate in discussions about the proposed changes. It is important that we work together to find solutions that balance the needs of residents with the need to maintain safe and accessible roads for emergency services.”

The Sewickley Police Department has responsibility for Glen Osborne and can issue parking tickets.

Police Chief Dave Mazza said he shares the same concerns as his emergency services colleagues, even though there have been no problems with police vehicles operating on the area’s roads.

“All three entities work together, so what affects them could potentially affect us and vice versa,” Mazza said. “We get called out on every medical call and every fire call.”

The proposed changes are available for inspection at the district office.

The council plans to take action on September 17 at 7 p.m. at Osborne Elementary School.