IONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Many residents on East Main Street in Ionia Township are facing a parking crisis after officials banned parking on both sides of the road.
The "no parking" signs went up several months ago, with township officials giving residents until May 1 to find alternative parking arrangements.
"It's a sad thing. They're destroying a road that's been here for years," said Sally Harris-Koeppen, who has lived on East Main Street for decades.
The issue impacts multiple homeowners whose properties sit lower than the road level and lack proper driveways.
"We have pads that we park on that are full of dirt, or, like, mine across there has a cement foundation that my grandpa made, and that's where we've always parked," Harris-Koeppen said.
Residents say the township's suggestion to find alternative parking isn't practical.
"They said, 'Well, park elsewhere.' What? Park in town and then have Dial-a-Ride bring us home? We can't do that," Harris-Koeppen explained.
The topography of the area presents a significant challenge to creating proper off-street parking.
"This whole road, as you can see, is a drop-off, and nobody can pull down in there and get back out," she added.
Sarah Jo Brown, Harris-Koeppen's daughter who lives next door, shares similar concerns.
"Believe you me, if we had a place to park, we would for sure. We'd definitely love to be closer to our houses, but there's no way," Brown said.
Harris-Koeppen is spending thousands of dollars to build a new driveway to solve her parking issues, but she says most of her neighbors are less fortunate. She wants the township to remove the "no parking" signs.
"So that we can rest in peace and the people that have moved out, living with relatives, can come back home and enjoy their homes. It's just not fair to any of us. That's all I ask," she said.
When contacted about the situation, Ionia Township Supervisor Jamie Stephens said the township has no comment.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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