Maggie McElroy and her neighbors are unhappy and they are hoping that Emmaus Borough Council can help.
That’s why, McElroy, who lives across from St. Ann School at 432 S. 6th St., addressed council at last night’s meeting, asking council to do something about “the craziness of parking and driving” on S. 6th Street.
Specifically, McElroy said that the road is quite busy during the pick-up and drop-off times for St Ann School, as well as when parents are dropping off and picking up children for CCD classes on Wednesday nights.
“We (the residents) are very unhappy,” McElroy said. “We need to work together as far as the school and the residents go so that everybody is happy.”
McElroy told council that she recognizes that she lives on a block with on-street parking and is not guaranteed a parking space in front of her home, but she stressed that her issues go beyond whether or not she is able to park in front of her house.
McElroy said she is concerned for the safety of the children she sees being picked up after dark on S. Sixth Street and wonders why parents aren’t using the St. Ann’s parking lot which is better lit than S. 6th Street.
“It’s a kind of laziness,” she said. “They all just want to loop and swoop and there are all the kids running in the dark.”
McElroy also asked whether her block could be given resident parking permits like the area around Emmaus High School, adding that she has family that lives near the high school.
McElroy’s concerns were referred to council’s Public Safety Committee, headed by Councilman Brent Labenberg. The next Public Safety Committee meeting is on Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. in Emmaus Borough Hall.
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But sorry neighbor, unless you're 80+yrs old the church and school were there long before you were (church was built in 1930, school in the basement / separate school building built in 1949). You need to deal with it, not the other way around. I also wonder, did this neighbor go over to talk to the principal and pastor about their concerns first, before going to council?
St. Ann School has enforced a drop off policy for more than 6 years, where all students are dropped off in the upper church parking lot, and sent in through a side door on Fairview Street. The cars enter and exit through the lower church parking lot entrance on South 5th Street, alleviating any car traffic on Fairview or South Sixth Streets in the morning, in order to allow room for the buses. The doors on Fairview Street are the only doors students may enter during drop off time in the morning. The pick-up procedure is similar to the morning drop off procedure. Parents park in the upper church lot, and then proceed to the gym to pick up their child. Cars enter and exit through the lower parking lot on South 5th Street, again alleviating car traffic on Fairview and South Sixth Streets.
Mrs. Kile has requested that staff refrain from parking on the south-bound side of South 6th Street during school hours. This will allow for residents to have more accessible parking in front of their homes. Brief parking on South Sixth Street will continue for Preschool/Pre-Kindergarten drop off/pick-up, which occurs several times each day, but only lasts approximately 10-15 minutes each time. Preschool students enter and exit the building through one of the doors on South Sixth Street.
P.S. And let's not miss another anger management class :-)