Parents parking in drop-off, emergency zones
By John Faucher
Hortonville Police Chief Kristine Brownson said she will look into safety concerns at the recommendation of two village board members.
Village trustees Jeanne Bellile and Julie Arendt Vanden Heuvel said at a Feb. 7 board meeting they’ve heard numerous concerns from parents regarding parked vehicles in student drop-off and loading zones at the elementary and middle schools.
Bellile said some parents are stopping and parking vehicles in the student drop-off and loading zone.
“You’re supposed to stop, drop and go,” Bellile said of those areas.
She said when parents are stopped for longer periods of time, it creates safety issues for other children being dropped off.
“[The school district] sent out a memo to parents asking them to not park in the second lane because children have to cross and it’s dangerous,” Bellile said.
“I just wondered if it’s something that you can look at because it is a big concern for a lot of parents in the elementary school.”
Arendt Vanden Heuvel said she has heard similar concerns from parents at Hortonville Middle School.
John Faucher photo
“Many times in the evening when there are activities going on, people are parking along both sides of the circle drive and blocking it,” Arendt Vanden Heuvel said.
She said although the drive is posted and marked with signage, the problem continues.
“Some people are actually parking in the circle, locking their vehicle, and going into a basketball game for an hour and a half,” Arendt Vanden Heuvel said.
She also said Hortonville-Hortonia Fire District recently responded to the school for a fire alarm, and firefighters were unable to get the trucks through the drive because vehicles were parked in both lanes.
“It’s a safety concern,” Arendt Vanden Heuvel said.
Brownson said she will make contact with School Resource Officer Brian Bahr and the other officers.
“We have issued tickets at the school in the past. However, we need to be careful because it’s the school, and it’s their property, so we have to do it at the discretion of the school,” Brownson said.