The Mt. Airy Town Council held a short meeting Monday evening, Feb. 3, with one substantial item on the agenda, a “no thru truck” ordinance. The council reviewed the first reading of the ordinance with Mayor Ray McAllister.
McAllister told the council that he and the Police Chief Jaime Bowden drove through the subdivisions and streets in town. They concluded that they wanted to put “no thru truck” signs in the subdivisions. “We actually have to have an ordinance in place for that,” he told the council.
“What we’re having trouble and complaints with is 18-wheelers and things like that parking on the right-of-ways. Parking where they don’t have a place to park,” McAllister said. He explained that the town had received quite a few complaints about the issue.
McAllister said that they were trying to address some of those issues. “We are in the process of trying to eliminate some of those issues. One of those issues would be no thru truck signs at each entrance to the subdivisions,” he told the council.
He told the council that they will have another reading and asked the council to read it and recommend some additions or subtractions to the ordinance between now and then. Bowden explained to the council that the ordinance as presented was just a draft at this time.
The draft ordinance defines “no thru trucks” as those trucks that do not have a point of destination, service, pick-up, or delivery at a location directly accessible by use. It includes trucks that are more than six wheels. The ordinance excludes pick-up trucks, buses, and government, emergency, and utility vehicles.
The ordinance also includes overnight parking prohibition. No truck or tractor-trailer shall enter, travel, or park on any street, or right-of-way for the purpose of an overnight stay by the driver or operator. It includes language that the town will post signs at the entrance of the corporate limits of the town on GA 197 and on Dicks Hill Parkway that states “No Overnight Parking.”
