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Parking solution brings more problems to St. Augustine neighboorhood

"My neighbors lost their parking spaces on the other side of the street because I got my parking back."

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — In early February, Twila Hudson asked the On Your Side team for help. She wanted the parking space back in front of her St. Augustine home.

"The city promised me," she said, "I spoke with commissioners who said that we would get our parking back."

In 2012, while nearby Riberia Street was under construction, traffic was detoured onto her street, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. At the time, the city also removed parking along her street, so cars could get down the road more easily. The curbs were painted yellow to indicate no parking. 

But construction ended in late 2013. Five years later, Hudson still had a yellow curb until First Coast News stepped in in February 2019. St. Augustine's Mobility director admitted it was an oversight.

Hudson's curb was finally painted white.

"That was great to see I got my parking back," Hudson said Thursday. "The only thing that was upsetting to see is my neighbors lost their parking spaces on the other side of the street because I got my parking back."

That's right. The city removed the parking spaces on the other side of the street, including the spot at Catherine Heymsfeld's home.

"I came out to see the entire curb was yellow," Heymsfeld said. "It was not just in front of my home but the front of the whole side of my street." 

What happened? The city's mobility director, Reuben Franklin, said when he investigated Hudson's concern, he looked at a 2015 traffic study which called for parking to return to Hudson' side of the street and for it to be removed from the other side of the road. 

Why? 

He said so traffic and emergency vehicles can travel more smoothly. He said police and fire department representatives suggested removing parking from the west side of Martin Luther King Avenue. 

Hudson is baffled. 

"There's never been a problem with congestion in this area for vehicles getting through," she said. Hudson said there is more traffic on the northern end of the road with popular restaurants. 

Heymsfeld said, "I'm just thinking, couldn't we have staggered spots. I understand the rescue vehicles need to get by, and of course we don't want to create any issue for that, but couldn't they please just stagger? All I want is one spot." 

Franklin said no one from his staff notified the residents about the parking change this week because he had fast-tracked Hudson's concern. 

Franklin admits residents should have been notified.

"I was a little bit disconcerted because I thought they would give us notice," Heymsfeld said. "I woke up to seeing that, and there were several neighbors up in arms." 

Franklin said he will investigate to see if any spaces can be added along the road. 

Meanwhile, Hudson feels bad for speaking up and said she never wanted this to affect her neighbors. 

"I feel like because I kept saying something about the fact the city didn't keep their word, this is their way to get back at me," she said, tearing up. "So they punish my neighbors so my neighbors feel like I caused the problem."

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