And after a 1996 ordinance reduced the minimum size of parking stalls, it has become even more difficult to find parking – especially when the number of larger vehicles being purchased is growing.
The City is now discussing how they can possibly fix the problem.
"This particular measure, I believe, would allow for roughly six inches in additional parking space per stall," says Council Member Ikaika Anderson.
The proposed amendment would require that any off street parking abide by new parking standards with increased minimum dimensions. The hope is to improve the ease of parking and minimize damage to vehicles.
But the initial prompting came from state representative Ken Ito.
"He saw some confrontations in his house district due to parking stalls being too narrow," says Anderson.
Something that Kaneohe resident Dustin Hauki is no stranger to.
"Scraps all the time saying, ‘Oh i was here first waiting for this parking,’" says Hauki.
Hauki, an avid surfer, owns a truck, which makes it more difficult for him to find parking– an issue that seems to face many Hawaii residents.
"When you open your door, it’s like you got little bit room to open next to a big truck. And when you got two big trucks next to each other, it’s horrible," says Hauki..
"It seems that with our year-round climate, it’s very friendly to these recreational activities that these larger vehicles help to support," says Anderson.
And although the solution of making bigger stalls seems simple enough, the City warns that there will be ramifications.
"There’s a cost to it because you’re required to put so much parking spaces," says the Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting David Tanouye.
The City Council is still discussing the resolution and wants to know the cost before moving forward.
The Department of Planning and Permitting has until early October to provide those details.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
