Chandler speed limit lowered; Martin Street's fate unsure
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

A two-item Chandler City Council agenda saw the lowering of Highway 31's speed limit along Chandler Tuesday, November 13. The ordinance was passed to the city by the state.

Jim Moffeit, city administrator, said the overall effect of the ordinance will be to lower the 50 miles per hour speed limit within the city to 45 miles per hour, while the 55 mph area will extend to the Chandler City Limits signs on either side of Highway 31.

"The city hasn't had a whole lot of input into this," Moffeit said. "The state writes the ordinance and asks us to ratify it."

Most of the time during the meeting, however, was spent discussing the No Parking Anytime signs along Martin Street in Chandler.

Don McCurley, who owns several homes on the street, said he had received complaints from tenants of his.

"I've got four houses on the corner of Trigger and Martin," McCurley said. "The tenants can only park in their driveways. "

Martin street was transformed from a little trail into an actual street around the beginning of 2007, Moffeit said.

"Up until last year it was a little asphalt lane," Moffeit said. "The city, knowing we were going to develop that area, rebuilt the major artery."

The project cost the city around $600,000 to complete, and the street was widened as much as possible without allowing it to get too close to houses, Moffeit also said. The end result was a street measuring 28 feet between the backs of each curb, making roughly 24 feet of driving surface.

Moffeit said most streets are supposed to be closer to 32 feet.

The parking signs went up after a driver struck a parked car close to Trigger Street.

During the council meeting, claims were raised that the driver of the vehicle was intoxicated at the time of the accident, but Chandler Police Chief Ron Reeves said one accident, and the possibility of more, was all it took to convince him to authorize the signs. The City Administration and the Police Department worked together to install the No Parking signs.

McCurley said his recommendation for the street would be to permit parking on one side and to outlaw parking on the other side of Martin during school bus operation.

"I could even be convinced to say no parking on one side anytime," McCurley said. "If I thought there was a safety concern, I would be the first to ask for the signs."

McCurley also said the majority of those on Martin Street, the inhabitants of around 10 homes, said they did not want the signs there.

"The signs make it impossible for them to have garage sales there," McCurley said.

During the meeting, councilmember Coy Ellis suggested taking a month to consider what changes could be made to the street and to the council's authority in the matter. No motion was made at this.

Afterwards, councilmember Barbara Reeves made a motion to leave the signs as they were. The motion could not get a second and the matter will carry over to future meetings.

Moffeit said he acknowledged there had been complaints, but also said he had received calls since the meeting expressing thanks that the signs were there.