HARLINGEN — Only four residents in town have a “no parking” sign in front of their houses.
The sign prohibits the public from parking there without a special permit in an effort to help elderly or disabled residents.
The most recent sign went up on Tuesday for an 83-year-old woman living on West Wright Street.
City workers finished the “no parking” sign work order and painted the curb yellow yesterday.
Now, surrounding neighbors are questioning whether Harlingen City Commissioner Ruben De La Rosa used his authority to install the sign, which happens to be for his aunt.
“Can I get one of those signs in front of my home or a permit to park there?” Rebecca Rodriguez says she asked city officials yesterday.
De La Rosa says his aunt deserves the “no parking” sign and said he filed for the permit more than a month ago and followed all the procedures to have a sign installed for his aunt’s home.
“Every time my aunt needs medical assistance there is nowhere for the ambulance to park,” De La Rosa said. “Anybody with medical needs living in the city of Harlingen can apply for the no parking sign in front of their residence.”
A city ordinance was passed in 2009 allowing residents to receive a “no parking” zone in front of their home if the necessary qualifications are met.
The ordinance keeps the public from parking in front of the homes of the elderly or the disabled who qualify for the privilege.
De La Rosa said a payment of $60, required documentation and a doctor’s approval is necessary to get approved for a no parking sign.
As of Tuesday, the space in front of De La Rosa’s aunt’s home where neighbors used to park is now designated as no parking.
De La Rosa said anybody who parks there who does not have the hanging permit will be issued parking tickets equivalent to parking in handicap zones.
Rodriguez said she and neighbors have been calling and asking for speed bumps and have been asking to have sidewalks fixed for a long time.
She said Wright Street is very narrow and most homes don’t have driveways, leaving residents to park anywhere they can in the neighborhood close to home.
She said parking became a problem on Saturday when De La Rosa’s mother arrived to visit his aunt and there was no parking on Wright Street due to a neighboring family gathering.
“I don’t see this service as a negative thing, I see it as a positive,” De La Rosa said. “It’s an ordnance that has been there for a long time, but nobody is really using it.”
Senior Citizen Advisory Board member Connie Salas agreed residents are entitled to this privilege and have rarely applied.
“If you meet the requirements, you can get a sign in front of your house so no one will park there,” Salas said. “You don’t just have to be elderly to apply for the parking space; it’s also for disabled citizens.”
