[Added 9-22-1990]
The City Council of the City of Springfield finds and declares that the provisions of this article are enacted for the following reasons:
A. 
To protect the designated residential streets or districts from polluted air, excessive noise, and litter caused by the entry of vehicles parked by persons not residing within the residential streets or districts;
B. 
To reduce hazardous traffic congestion, and the danger of obstruction of fire lanes, fire hydrants, and access required by emergency vehicles;
C. 
To encourage the use of public transportation;
D. 
To protect the residents of the designated residential streets or districts from unreasonable burdens in gaining access to their homes;
E. 
To preserve the value of property in the designated residential streets or districts; and
F. 
To promote the peace, comfort, convenience, and welfare of all inhabitants of the City.
[Amended 1-14-1991]
The following words, as used in this article shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following meanings:
APPLICANT
A natural person who has a principal place of residence within a restricted residential parking street or district or who owns a residence therein; in the case of businesses, the legal entity or person who or which has a principal place of business within such street or district.
HOLDER
An applicant to whom a residential parking permit has been issued.
RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT
The permit issued by the Parking Clerk to residents of restricted residential parking streets or districts for their vehicles and the vehicles of their visitors and for visitors of business establishments with said streets or districts, as described herein.
RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT FEE
The residential parking permit fee shall be $100. Any individual 65 years old or older shall be entitled to a permit parking fee reduction of 15% for each residential parking permit; provided, however, that the individual has a principal place of residence within a restricted parking street or district.
RESTRICTED RESIDENTIAL PARKING STREET OR DISTRICT
Any street or district or public way which the City Council, after a report from the Traffic Commission, approves as a designated restricted residential parking street or district.
No person shall park a motor vehicle at any time upon any street or portion thereof designated by the City Council as a restricted residential parking street or district without a residential or visitor parking permit for that street or district.
A. 
Upon an applicant's payment of the residential parking permit fee and submission of a residential parking permit application, the applicant shall receive one residential parking permit for the vehicle described in the application. Such permit shall be securely affixed to the inside bottom left corner of the rear window of the vehicle and shall display the permit number and the expiration date of the permit, which shall be one year after the date of issuance.
B. 
Applicants who reside within a restricted residential parking street or district may apply and pay for one or more additional permits for vehicles owned or principally operated by them.
A. 
Upon the holder's payment of the residential parking permit fee and submission of a residential parking permit application, the holder shall receive a new residential parking permit.
B. 
The expiration date to be displayed on the new residential parking permit shall be one year following the expiration date of the existing permit.
A. 
Upon the holder's payment of a transfer fee of $10, submission of an application for transfer of a residential parking permit, and surrender of his existing permit, the holder shall receive a new residential parking permit for use on another vehicle;
B. 
The transfer of a residential parking permit shall not affect its expiration date.
A. 
Each holder of a residential parking permit, other than a nonresidential owner, shall be issued two visitor parking permits, which shall expire on the same date as the holder's permit.
B. 
Each resident within the restricted residential parking street or district, who is not a holder of a residential parking permit, shall, upon application and payment of the residential parking permit fee, receive two visitor parking permits, which shall expire one year after the date of issuance.
C. 
No resident or business shall be entitled to more than two visitor parking permits.
D. 
Each resident and business to whom or to which visitor parking permits have been issued shall be responsible for the use and misuse of such permits.
E. 
Visitor's parking permits shall be displayed in the rear window of the vehicle so as to be readily visible from outside the vehicle.
F. 
Each visitor parking permit shall bear an identifying number and its expiration date.
Notwithstanding § 385-28 above, the following motor vehicles may be parked within a restricted residential parking street or district without a residential parking permit:
A. 
Emergency vehicles, including ambulances and Police and Fire Department vehicles.
B. 
Delivery vehicles and service vehicles while the operator is actually engaged in business within the restricted residential parking street or district.
C. 
Disabled veterans or handicapped persons whose vehicle bears the distinctive plates, or displays the special parking identification plate authorized by MGL c. 90, § 2, or bears the official identification of handicapped persons issued by other states or any Canadian province.
D. 
Vehicles of contractors with commercial registration plates or clearly marked with the name of the contractor or contracting company while the operator is in fact working within the restricted residential parking street or district.
E. 
Such other vehicles as may be described in the order designating the residential parking street or district.
A. 
Other laws, ordinances, rules and regulations now or hereafter applicable to parking within restricted residential parking streets or districts shall remain in full force and effect to the extent they are not inconsistent herewith.
B. 
A residential parking permit, including a visitor parking permit, shall not guarantee or reserve a particular parking space, or any parking space, within the restricted residential parking street or district.
A. 
The Parking Clerk shall collect such information from applicants as will enable him to administer and enforce the provisions of this article.
B. 
The Parking Clerk may require such evidence of residence, ownership or conduct of business as he deems reasonable and proper, including but not limited to motor vehicle operator's license, motor vehicle registration, rent receipt, utility bill, electric bill, gas bill, telephone bill, cable TV bill, monthly bank statement (except mortgage statement), or Medicaid eligibility card.
C. 
The Parking Clerk may make such other investigation and inquiry as he deems reasonable and proper upon receipt of an application hereunder.
A. 
No petition for a designation of a restricted residential parking street or district shall be ordered by the City Council until:
(1) 
A petition for a restricted residential parking street or district has been initiated by submission to the City Council of a petition signed by 70% of the owners/occupants of a particular street or district;
(2) 
The City Council has referred the petition to the Traffic Commission for review;
(3) 
The Traffic Commission has held a public hearing at which all persons interested shall be given an opportunity to be heard; and
(4) 
The Traffic Commission has submitted a report on the proposed street or district with recommendations to the City Council.
B. 
Notice and hearing. The Traffic Commission hearing shall be held within 60 days of submission of the petition to the City Council. No order by the City Council shall be voted until a report has been submitted to the City Council from the Traffic Commission or 21 days have elapsed since the Traffic Commission hearing without the submission of such report.
(1) 
Notice of the date, day, time, place and subject matter of the hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City in each of two successive weeks, the first publication to be not less than 14 days before such hearing. This notice shall be prepared and published by the City Clerk at the expense of the petitioners.
(2) 
Notice of the hearing shall be sent by mail, postage prepaid, at least 10 days before the hearing to all residents within the proposed restricted residential parking street or district, as shown on the most recent City census. The mailing of such notice shall be done by the City Clerk at the expense of the petitioners.
C. 
For purposes of implementation and enforcement, any approval by the City Council designating a restricted residential parking street or district shall take effect no earlier than three months after its approval.
D. 
Immediately following the approval of any petition designating a restricted residential parking street or district, the City Clerk shall mail or deliver to every residence within the designated restricted residential parking street or district, as shown on the most recent census, written notice of the effective date of the permit parking, the areas affected thereby, the fact that parking will be restricted to residents with a permit, and the procedure for obtaining a permit, together with an application for a permit.
E. 
Prior to the effective date of the permit parking, signs shall be erected in the restricted residential parking street or district sufficient to inform persons of ordinary intelligence that parking is restricted to vehicles with permits.
A. 
The permit or permits of any holder who violates the provisions of this article on two or more occasions in any calendar year may be revoked by the Parking Clerk.
B. 
Notice of revocation shall be sufficient if mailed or delivered to the holder at his or her address as shown on the records of the Parking Clerk.
A. 
It shall be a violation of this article for any person:
(1) 
To obtain a residential parking permit by fraud or deceit.
(2) 
To retain or use a residential parking permit after his or her principal residence or principal place of business has been changed to a location outside the restricted residential parking street or district or after revocation or expiration of the permit.
(3) 
To permit any person to retain or use a visitor parking permit when such person is not visiting the resident or business to which or to whom the permit was issued.
(4) 
To park within the restricted residential parking street or district without a residential or visitor parking permit for that street after signs have been posted at such places within said street as the Traffic Bureau may require.
(5) 
To use or allow to be used a residential parking permit on any vehicle other than the one for which it was issued, except upon a vehicle bearing a dealer's registration plate and actually in the custody of the permit holder.
(6) 
To make, cause to be made, or to use any copy, facsimile, or duplicate of a residential parking permit.
B. 
Any violation of this article shall be punishable by a fine of $15. Each day that a violation continues shall be punishable as a separate offense.