Paramus Pursues Overnight Parking Permit System

Paramus officials agreed to pursue a permit system for overnight parking to ease the woes of those residents who have no place to keep their vehicles at night.

After a lengthy discussion Tuesday night, officials determined the criteria that would have to be met in order for residents to be eligible for such permits and how the process would work.

Permit eligibility would be based on the number of drivers in one household, plus one, verses the number of spaces in the driveway and garage.

If the number of drivers exceeds the number of spaces, a permit could be granted, explained Mayor Richard LaBarbiera.  A household with two drivers and a driveway with space enough for four cars would not be eligible for the permit.

In recent weeks officials have been discussing the permit process as a possible solution for those residents who have come forward saying they have no options for overnight parking. Borough ordinance restricts parking from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. A recent push to enforce the restriction has resulted in the issuance of hundreds of parking tickets by the police department, said the mayor.

Officials said those expressing a need for street parking at night say their families have outgrown their driveway and in many cases the driveways can not be expanded due to physical obstacles in the way such as a borough tree which can not be removed.

Council members shared additional feedback from the public such as concerns regarding how overnight street parking would affect their neighborhood. LaBarbiera said he believes the permit need would only apply to a handful of areas in the borough. He said likely 5 percent of the borough would be determined eligible for the permits.

Other concerns dealt with the enforcement of the permits and which department would handle the issuance and inspections involved.

The mayor said enforcing overnight parking would still be handled by the police department as it is now. Situations such as snow fall or other emergencies would supersede the permits, said LaBarbiera.

The permits would be annual and would be specific to the vehicle in order to discourage any sharing among vehicles in one household. Commercial vehicles would not be eligible for the permit but would still be allowed to be parked in a driveway.

Officials agreed on an annual permit fee of  $120 which equals $10 a month in order to cover the borough’s administrative costs.

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Paramus Officials Seek Solution to Overnight Parking Woes