Washington’s City Council approved two of five recommendations to help resolve a dispute about parking congestion and related matters on North Academy Street between East Main and East Second streets.

Tim Prichard, who lives on North Academy Street, brought his concerns about the issue to the city several months ago.

Prichard contended that traffic associated with First Christian Church and its preschool were part of the parking problem. He asked the city to investigate.

Earlier this year, First Christian Church officials agreed to work with Prichard to find equitable solutions to his concerns. The city’s public works director, planning director, police chief and fire chief evaluated Prichard’s concerns and offered their advice on solving the matter.

The council, after conducting a public hearing on the matter Monday, approved implementing the following recommendations from interim City Manager Pete Connet:

ź Mark all curbs at the intersections of East Main and North Academy streets and East Second and North Academy streets 25 feet back from the intersecting curb lines.

ź Create a new crosswalk on East Second Street from the church’s parking lot to the church’s front entrance area. Erect pedestrian crossing signs as needed on East Second Street.

The council, after hearing people speak during the hearing, chose not to implement these recommendations:

ź The west side of North Academy Street between East Main and East Second streets be marked as a “no parking” zone.

ź Remove the yellow-marked curb on the south side of East Second Street, except for the area needed as sight distance from its intersection with North Academy Street.

ź Mark all curbs on North Academy Street five feet on each side of driveway entrances.

Several North Academy Street residents and church members attended the hearing. Prichard did not attend the hearing because he was out of town because of a previous commitment.

Some speakers opposed the recommendation to prohibit parking on the west side of North Academy Street between East Main and East Second streets. Others supported that suggestion.

Church member Mike Alligood expressed concern about limiting parking to the east side of North Academy Street and Prichard using several parking spaces on that side of the street to accommodate his two vehicles, a truck, a motorcycle and a trailer. If that happens, it would hinder others from parking on that side of the street, he said.

“That … should be taken into consideration, I think,” Alligood said.

James Coke, who lives at 323 E. Second St., suggested putting two crosswalks on East Second Street to serve pedestrian traffic to and from the church. He also voiced concerns about the suggestion to ban parking on the west side of North Academy Street, saying it would take away 10 parking places on that streets, parking places needed by residents on that street.

Church member Clyde Roberson opposed placing parking spaces for handicapped people on the south side of East Second Street, directly in front of the church. Roberson said that would create a dangerous situation because children could dart between cars parked there into the street. Motorists on the street might not see them in time to avoid hitting the, Roberson warned.

In a letter to the mayor and council, Prichard wrote: “We wholeheartedly support City Manager Pete Connet’s recommendations as published in the Washington Daily News.” The letter then cites the five recommendations.

“It is our hope that those who have safety as their primary motivation, those who used their expertise to form opinion, those who have weighed all the possibilities and those with studied opinions would be heard above the rest,” Prichard wrote.