Mayor Joe Buck and New City Manager Denzel Maxwell Walk Old Town: Seeing Our Summer Parking and Safety Challenges Firsthand
Mayor Joe Buck and our new City Manager, Denzel Maxwell, joined Old Town Neighborhood Association (OTNA) board members and neighbors for a neighborhood "walkabout" on Thursday, November 12.
Much like the walks we organized with all six City Council candidates before the election, our goal was to give City leaders a firsthand look at what it's like to live in Old Town during the busy summer months—when visitors to George Rogers Park (GRP) turn our neighborhood streets into an overflow parking lot.
We walked the streets, pointed out problem areas, heard neighbors' experiences, and discussed the changes we believe are needed to make our neighborhood safer for both residents and park visitors.
Our neighbors have made their priorities clear
Our recent neighborhood survey identified five priorities. Here is what we discussed with the Mayor and City Manager:
1. Develop a proactive traffic and parking management plan for summer 2027 (May–Labor Day).
This was our top priority, and we spent most of our time discussing it.
Why can the City manage traffic for special events but not during busy summer days? We talked about how traffic and parking are managed during the Arts Festival, 4th of July Pancake Breakfast, and Car Show. For these events, Public Works puts up temporary "No Parking" signs throughout the neighborhood, traffic flow is managed, and police Community Service Officers (CSOs) are present to enforce parking restrictions. On hot summer days, however, the volume of visitors to GRP can exceed what we experience during some of these special events, yet there is no comparable proactive management. The police are here but the signs are not.
Safety is a major concern. Cars travel in both directions on narrow streets, many without sidewalks. Cyclists, pedestrians, children, and parents pushing strollers are all competing for space. Intersections and street corners are not consistently protected from illegal or unsafe parking.
We recognized our police and fire teams. We praised their responsiveness when neighbors call for help and their proactive presence in the neighborhood. We appreciate the work they do.
We reviewed three years of work with City staff. We shared the history of our discussions with City traffic and engineering staff and the additional signs installed over the past three years. We also pointed out a particularly dangerous "pinch point" on Furnace Street between Ladd and Wilbur. Both sides of this stretch were expected to be designated No Parking, but one section was left available for parking, creating an ongoing safety concern. Many people don't park fully off the street.
Leonard Street neighbors shared their experiences. Residents of the Peg Tree condominiums described the difficulty and safety concerns of entering and exiting their gated parking areas. We also pointed out that many other Leonard Street residents depend on street parking, making it important to consider the needs of everyone who lives there.
We discussed a "Good Neighbor Policy" for George Rogers Park. We revisited former City Manager Lynn Peterson's suggestion that Parks & Recreation develop a Good Neighbor Policy when planning park events and renting picnic shelters. These activities bring additional visitors to GRP, often without sufficient parking to accommodate them.
We spent considerable time at the playground. We discussed the safety concerns for children and families in this area, where visitor traffic and parking create particular challenges.
Our message was simple: If the City can proactively manage traffic and parking for special events, why can't we develop a similar plan for the busy summer season?
2. Fully fund police and fire services to ensure fast emergency response.
Neighbors value the responsiveness of our police and fire departments. Maintaining adequate staffing and resources is essential to keeping residents and visitors safe. We are grateful for the excellent and "customer-centric" people who work at our police and fire departments.
3. Ban noisy, gas-powered leaf blowers.
This remains a neighborhood quality-of-life priority.
4. Repave Ladd Street and address serious water erosion problems.
The condition of Ladd Street and the ongoing water erosion need attention. This is a street used by people for the key events held at GRP along with people coming for the park and the fields.
5. Revisit the City ordinance allowing people to sleep in their vehicles on City streets for up to 72 hours.
There is an inconsistency that concerns neighbors: people cannot sleep overnight in George Rogers Park, but they can sleep in their vehicles on our neighborhood streets for up to 72 hours. Ladd Street has become a frequent location, in part because visitors can access the park restrooms. Mayor Buck recognized during our walk, those restrooms do not have doors that can be locked at night.
We would like the City to reconsider whether this ordinance is appropriate for residential streets and address the unintended consequences for neighborhoods.
What happens next?
Denzel listened carefully and took notes on his phone throughout the walk. He mentioned that this was his first Neighborhood Association meeting and that he planned to visit more neighborhoods. We appreciated his willingness to get out of the office and hear directly from residents.
Mayor Buck quickly recognized the challenges we were describing, particularly the safety issues for both visitors and neighbors trying to navigate the streets around George Rogers Park. He shared several practical, cost-conscious ideas and told us, "We'll fix this."
We appreciated the Mayor's immediate understanding of the issues and his interest in finding solutions.
Our hope is that this walk marks a turning point.
Old Town has been working with City staff for three years to address these ongoing summer traffic and parking challenges. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. The City already has successful traffic-management practices for major events. We need to apply that same proactive thinking to the busy summer season at George Rogers Park.
We look forward to working with Mayor Buck, City Manager Maxwell, and City staff to turn what we discussed on November 12 into a practical traffic and parking management plan for summer 2027.
Our neighbors have made their priorities clear. Now let's turn those priorities into action!
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