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On Tuesday evening, the LaGrange City Council held a public hearing and first reading on potential parking restrictions on Vernon Road.

LaGrange is considering an ordinance that would limit street parking in front of the Medical Plaza in the 1600 block of Vernon Rd. A site distance issue was brought to the city’s attention after a motor vehicle collision occurred on the evening of Wednesday, July 13 involving a vehicle pulling out of the plaza.

The city originally prepared an ordinance restricting parking in the area based on an ordinance already in effect that prohibits curb parking within 30 feet of a street entrance. The original plan was to prohibit the parking using yellow curbs to designate the 30-feet prohibition around the curb cuts but doing so would eliminate all but two of the street parking spaces.

According to discussion at the meeting, the LaGrange Police Department suggested a second option that would allow for five spaces in front of the location using striping. Several council members voiced support for the second option as parking at the location can be difficult at times, especially during dinner hours.

Multiple restaurants share the plaza parking lot, including Good Ol’ Country Buffet and the new location of Pizza Villa, now known as The Villa.

The city sent letters to the owners and tenants at the plaza, but no calls were received on the issue. No one spoke in support or against the measure during the public hearing.

In other business, the council also unanimously approved an ordinance to name newly accepted streets within the new Crossvine Village mixed-use housing development at the corner of Hogansville Rd. and South Davis Rd. The new streets will be named Headwater Court, Shannondoah Lane, Glen Haven Drive, River Meadow Drive and Rivermill Parkway. The city accepted the streets from the developer during the previous council meeting on Aug. 9.

The council also voted to reschedule its Tuesday, Sept. 13 mayor and council meeting to the following Thursday on Sept. 15. Neither Mayor Jim Thornton nor Mayor Pro-tem W.T. Edmondson would’ve been able to attend the Tuesday meeting, at least one of whom is required by ordinance to attend in order to have a quorum. Edmondson advised he will be available to run the postponed meeting.