Wildwood commissioners voted Monday to relax a four-year-old citywide prohibition on street parking so it now applies only to certain areas.
The ordinance remains in effect for the Village of Southern Oaks except for the Middleton neighborhood. It also applies to the Oxford Oaks and Lakeside Landing subdivisions.
In those areas, stopping, standing or parking a vehicle on city streets is prohibited except for temporary purposes such as loading and unloading. Street parking now will be permitted in other areas of Wildwood.
“In some ways, this kind of clears up our parking ordinance,” said City Manager Jason McHugh. “We wanted to make sure our parking regulations are consistent with Sumter County’s ordinance.”
Commissioner Joe Elliott asked whether McHugh planned an educational program to inform residents about the ordinance change. McHugh said the city would inform the public, but that the revised ordinance would not change the prohibition for most villagers.
The prohibition was enacted in response to complaints from villagers that people using the nearby Fenney Putt & Play were parking on their streets. With only golf cart parking available, people who drove other vehicles to the Putt & Play were directed to park at a recreation center a couple blocks away.
Despite the ordinance, residents near the Putt & Play continued to report parking issues and some made their own “no parking” signs.
A year ago, Citrus Grove resident Ken Reyes complained to commissioners that visitors to his home were surprised to find parking tickets when they returned to their cars about 10 p.m.
Reyes said he was told the visitors shouldn’t park at a nearby recreation center unless they were using the center.
Wildwood Police Chief Randy Parmer said officers didn’t conduct a ticket-writing spree in response to the prohibition, but responded to complaints.
