Proposed parking rules rile Halifax's Hydrostone residents

Proposedparking rulesinside one of Halifax's most historic neighbourhoods has riled up local residents.

Halifax's fire departmentsaid as long as homeowners in the Hydrostonearea continue to park on the narrowone-way streets, there will be no room for their trucks to get through.

As a fix, the department has suggested putting up no-parking signs on all eastbound one-way roadsin the century-old north-end neighbourhood.

"Our trucks are getting bigger over time. The streets are staying the same size," saidRoy Hollett, a deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency.

When the CBC inquired about the proposed changes, the fire service suggested a ride-along to demonstrate the challenges the streets present.

On Tuesday morning, Hollett and a crew of five attempted to drive a large fire truck down Stairs Street.

The truck made it halfway down the street before a parked pickup truck blocked its path.

"If we were in a live situation here, then my truck would be deemed useless at this point," said firefighter Jeff DeYoung, who was driving the fire engine.

Hollett saidone solution would be to narrow the green spaces inside the Hydrostone that separate the one-way streets. But that wouldcost too much, he said.

So for now, the plan is to limit parking.

"This is an immediate fix with minimal interruption," Hollett said.

Some residents disagree with the proposed changes.

"We don't have any other place to park," said Patricia McLeod, who lives on Hennessey Street.

"I'd like to be able to park on the street that I live on."

Erin Killorn,McLeod's neighbour, added:"I just would worry that with a small child, trying to take groceries in,are we going to have reliable parking?"

As a compromise, Halifax's parking services, in consultation with Halifax Fire and residents, is suggesting no-parking zones for the first 30 metres of every street in the Hydrostone.

"This would at least allow our trucks to get into the area," Hollett said.

Resident Dale Palmeter suggested thatHalifax Fire use the service lanes that run through the backyards of the Hydrostone, a national historic site.

"Fuel delivery, garbage collection, utilities all do work from the lanes, which is how this community was designed," Palmeter said.

He noted the Hydrostone is Canada's first planned community, "so why can't the fire department service from the services streets?"

Halifax Firesaidthere is not enough room on the service lanes for their vehicles and crews to put out fires.

Letters outlining the proposed parkingrules are beingmailed out this week.