JOSH KIM/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Cars park on the side of a narrow road along Grace Street in Berlin. Flames engulfed a nearby garage last month and emergency vehicles experienced trouble getting to the property.

By Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Aug. 15, 2019) A garage fire on Grace Street last month did more than destroy a building — it also revealed another serious problem with parking in Berlin.

“It brings it back to the forefront,” Berlin Police Department Chief Arnold Downing said following a Town Council meeting Monday evening.

The fire occurred around 5:30 p.m. on July 30 in the garage at the home of Sara and David Hambury, and while fire crews managed to restrict the blaze to that structure, the firetrucks had to maneuver through the narrow space left by cars parked on the street

Sara Hambury said street was built nearly 100 years ago and was meant to mostly accommodate carriages and early cars, not the larger models on the road today.

Other homes with driveways surround the cramped road, but vehicles still park on the street. Hambury also observed a car parked on the corner. She added it was difficult for the responding firefighters to maneuver around it.

“My issue is with parking where it causes problems for large vehicles, especially emergency service vehicles to do their job,” Hambury said in a July interview.

However, Downing said there were some bystanders who inadvertently obstructed the scene by going to “see what’s going on and that at there caused a problem for emergency vehicles.”

He reminded people that during emergency situations, they should give responders the proper space to do their jobs.

“We as citizens have to go ahead and remember [if] we have an event like a fire, we can’t go running to it [and] blocking emergency vehicles,” Downing said.

This incident prompted discussion between several department heads and members of Berlin’s Mayor and Council.

“We will be reviewing that street and other streets in regards to the accessibility of emergency vehicles and other vehicles,” Downing said.

Downing said it’s crucial to conduct a parking reassement. He added the last one was done in 2004.

Additionally, Downing said it’s important to be on the same page with other agencies, including the Berlin Fire Department.

“The fire department has a key role in this,” Downing said. “They know how much space they need to go ahead and maneuver and move through.”

However, Councilman Zack Tyndall stressed the importance of accessibility during all types of emergency situations.

“I mean a fire is something that we can all see, it’s tangible,” Tyndall said. “But say a medical emergency that requires significant staffing to get there, that’s a little harder for somebody to say, ‘Well, it took 10 minutes for someone to get to my house when it could have taken five.’”

Downing said other times when cars are parked on the street or in cul-de-sacs, it can impede sanitation workers driving a garbage truck. Improper parking can also make it difficult for everyday congestion.

Mayor Gee Williams said it’s crucial for neighbors to report any street parking violators to authorities.

“For … parking regulation to be effective it takes more than just chief of police and officers,” Williams said.

To administer the parking reassessment, Downing said it comes down to measuring.

“How big is a regular car and how much space would you need?” Downing said.

Tyndall also voiced concerns about parking during special events.

Downing agreed, and said during the 11th annual Berlin Peach Festival, a U.S. Post Office worker had difficulty delivering mail because of the volume of parked cars.

Councilman Dean Burrell, citing the parking during the Memorial Day festivities on Showell Street, where people were parking on both sides of the street, said, “That is absolutely ridiculous.”

However, Tyndall emphasized the need to offering the public a teachable moment.

“So I don’t think we have to resort right to writing a ticket, but [it’s] just educating the consumer a little bit,” Tyndall said.

Downing also suggested painting certain curbs red or installing more signs.