Article IX. Residential Parking Districts.

Section 17-52. Statement of Purpose.

The Town Council finds that the health, safety and welfare of certain residents of the Town are adversely affected by burdens placed upon them by the use of streets within residential areas of the Town for the parking of motor vehicles by persons using nearby governmental, educational or other public or quasi-public facilities and that the use of said streets for such purposes has resulted in congested traffic conditions, the overburdening of existing streets, and the inability of residents of certain areas to obtain adequate parking adjacent to or reasonably close to their places of residence, and to secure ease of access to their places of residence. To alleviate these conditions, the Town has established residential parking districts in certain areas of the Town; the purpose of this Subarticle is to provide regulations for on-street parking within such districts. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005)

Section17-53 Establishment of Residential Parking Districts.

There is established within the Town limits of the Town of Easton Residential Parking District No. 1, Residential Parking District No. 2, Residential Parking District 3, and Residential Parking District 4, the boundaries of which are more specifically set forth in this in Section 17-54. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126, Ordinance 789 effective 8/7/2022).

Section 17-54. Boundaries and times of application.

The boundaries and times of application of each parking district are:

Residential Parking District No. 1:

Adkins Avenue, East side;

Wye Avenue, both sides;

Earle Avenue, both sides, from Wye Avenue to South Washington Street;

Biery Street, both sides, from Wye Avenue to West Street;

South Harrison Street, both sides, from Earle Avenue to South Street;

South Washington Street, both sides, from Brookletts Avenue to Vine Street excluding the west side south of Biery Street;

Brookletts Avenue, both sides, from South Washington Street to South Hanson Street;

Brookwood Avenue, both sides, from Wye Avenue to the intersection of the North property line of 233 Brookwood Avenue with Brookwood Avenue.

South Street, located between Talbot Lane and Hanson Street (Ordinance 669 effective 11/8/2015)

Parking District No. 2:

Mecklenburg Avenue, both sides, from Bridge Street to Talbot House Access Roadway;

Note: The west side of Mecklenburg Avenue is reserved for residential permit parking. The east side of Mecklenburg Avenue (abutting the campus of Easton High School is a “School Parking Area” and is reserved for Easton High School permit parking.

Elwood Avenue, both sides, from Bridge Street to Elm Avenue;

Bridge Street, both sides, from Elwood Avenue to Mecklenburg Avenue;

East Oak Avenue, both sides, from Elwood Avenue to Mecklenburg Avenue;

Decatur Place, both sides;

Bainbridge Place, both sides.

Parking District No. 3:

1.Choptank Avenue from its intersection with High Street to its southerly terminus.

Note: The west side of Choptank Avenue and the cul-de-sac are reserved for residential permit parking; the east side of Choptank Avenue (abutting the campus of the Saints Peter and Paul Schools) is a “School Parking Area” and its reserved for Saints Peter and Paul School permit parking.

2.East Needwood Avenue from its intersection with Choptank Avenue to its intersection with Ted Avon Avenue.

3. Prospect Avenue from its intersection with High Street to its southerly terminus.

The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply to Residential Parking District No. 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply to Residential Parking Districts No. 2 and No. 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

(Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Parking District No. 4:

1. Hammond Street, on the east side from Federal Street to 132 Hammond Street in front of the residential properties; 

Floyd Lane, on the south side in front of the residential properties

The provision of this Ordinance shall apply to Residential Parking District No. 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply to Residential Parking Districts No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Ordinance 789, effective 8/7/2022) historical reference 486, 126).

Section 17-54a Residential Parking District Parking with Permit; Two Hour Limitation on Parking Without Permit.

No motor vehicle, other than one displaying a valid Residential Parking Permit for that District or a valid Residential Visitor Parking Permit for that District shall park on any street within that District for more than two (2) hours within the time periods set forth in Section 17-53. A person parking a vehicle on a Residential Parking District’s streets without either permit shall be limited to two hours of parking per day in the District during the effective hours of the provisions of this sub article. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-55 Qualifications for Permits.

Any resident of a Residential Parking District, who is the owner of a motor vehicle, may apply for a Residential Parking Permit for the District in which the person resides for each motor vehicle owned by said person. For the purposes of this Section, the term “resident” means any person over the age of 16, who resides in a structure approved for residential occupancy except dormitories. Any permit shall expire and be void when the permit holder no longer resides within the District and the permit holder shall remove the permit sticker from any vehicle registered to park upon its expiration or upon the resident’s moving outside of the District. Permits may be transferred from one vehicle to another during a permit year solely in accordance with regulations governing such transfers as provided for herein. Residential permits shall be issued without cost to eligible residents. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-56 Residential Visitor Parking Permit.

Each household located within a Residential Parking District shall receive, upon request, not more than two (2) Residential Visitor Parking Permits, the use of which shall be restricted to bona fide visitors or guests to said household. Upon payment of a fee in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00), a household may apply for, and receive, additional Residential Visitor Parking Permits upon establishing to the Chief of Police, or the Chief’s designate, the necessity for such additional permits. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-57 School Parking Permits for Districts Two and Three.

The Chief of Police may issue School Parking Permits to the principals of Easton High School (for District Two) and Saints Peter and Paul Schools (for District Three) for the areas designated for within each District for the respective use of each school. The number of permits to be issued for the use of each school shall be determined by the Chief. The principals of the schools shall issue the School Parking Permits to students or staff of each school. The Chief of Police may issue regulations for the design, issuance and use of such permits. No person without a properly issued permit shall park in any space designated for School Parking Permits during the times that this sub article is in effect. All expenses related to the issuance of School Parking Permits shall be borne by the school for whose use the permits are issued. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005)

Section 17-58 Application for Permit; Issuance of Permit.

An application for a Residential Parking District Permit shall be made by a resident of a Residential Parking District to the Chief of Police on a form provided by the Easton Police Department. The application for a permit shall contain information to verify that the applicant is a bona fide resident of the District for which the application has been made and has legal title or the right to possession of the motor vehicle to be registered, including, but not limited to, the following information: (1) The name and address of the owner of the motor vehicle; (2) the applicant’s name and address; (3) the make, model, color, State of registration and license number of the motor vehicle, and (4) the motor vehicle registration, operator’s permit and other relevant documents. The Chief of Police shall issue a parking permit upon finding that the applicant meets the requirements set forth herein. If issuance of the permit is otherwise barred by law, the permit shall not be issued. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-59 Regulations.

The Chief of the Easton Police Department is hereby authorized to prepare written regulations and procedures with regard to the procedures for application for Residential Parking Permits and Residential Visitor Parking Permits, display of permits, and other matters necessary and incidental to the carrying out of the purposes of this sub-article. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-60 Display of Permit; Transfer of Permit.

(a) Display of Permit: The Residential Parking Permit shall be affixed to the vehicle as set forth in regulations to be prepared by the Chief of Police. The design and content of the Permit shall be prescribed by the regulations.

(b) Transfer or Replacement of Permit: When a vehicle to which a permit is affixed is sold, transferred or in any other manner rendered unusable to the permit holder, the permit holder shall remove the permit from the vehicle and may request the issuance of a replacement permit. The application for a permit shall be in accordance with the provisions for an application for any original or renewal permit, with the exception that no charge shall be made for a replacement permit.

(Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-61 Violations; Penalties:

(a) The parking of any vehicle within the boundaries of a Residential Parking District in a manner contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance shall be considered as “Exceeding the Posted Time Limit”, except parking in designated School Parking areas shall be considered “Improper Parking”, and the fine for such offenses shall be that as is established from time to time by the Easton Town Council.

(b) The use of any permit in a manner contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance is prohibited and the same is hereby declared to be unlawful. Any person violating the same shall, on conviction thereof by a court of competent jurisdiction, be guilty of a municipal infraction and shall subject to a fine or fines in the amounts specified in Article XII Section 6 of the Town Code. Each day the violation continues shall constitute a separate violation.

(Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126)

Section 17-62 Other Parking Regulations Unaffected.

Nothing in this sub-article limits the authority of the Town to designated streets or alleys, or portions thereof, as “No Parking” zones. All other provisions of the Town Code pertaining to parking shall be applicable within the Residential Parking Districts unless there is a specific contrary provision in this Subarticle. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005)

Section 17-63 Severability.

The provisions of this sub-article are severable and if any provision hereof is held to be illegal, invalid or unconstitutional, or inapplicable to any person or circumstance, such illegality, invalidity, unconstitutionality or inapplicability shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions of this Ordinance in their application to other persons or circumstances. (Ordinance 486 effective 6/8/2005, historical reference 126