Oak Harbor City Council members are considering a proposal to close a small section of Southeast Third Avenue to vehicles in an effort to protect pedestrians arriving at or leaving Volunteer Park.

Interim Public Works Director Mick Monken presented the proposal to the council during its workshop meeting Jan. 26. Public Works first began considering the closure in September 2021, when a resident near the park informed the department that the portion of the unimproved right-of-way leading up the park’s only west side access point was often home to troublemakers in the hours after dark.

Although problems such as littering and vandalism in the space have largely been mitigated by the addition of a street lamp in the area, officials found that city residents have been using the short, gravel road as a makeshift parking lot during park events such as little league baseball games. Because cars parked on that part of the road inhibit vision and don’t allow sufficient space for turning around, the arrangement poses a safety risk to pedestrians.

“It’s not a parking lot — they just kind of jam in there,” Monken said.

The Public Works department solicited community input on a potential closure of the road in October and received a mostly negative response. Of the 14 people who submitted a comment on the matter, 12 were against closing the short road segment to cars. Of those 12 respondents, 11 were mainly concerned about losing access to parking in the area. Around 16 cars can fit along the right-of-way.

Monken noted, however, that there are other options for parking in the vicinity. Between on-site parking, nearby street parking and spots at Oak Harbor Elementary School, there are already 310 parking spaces within 1,000 feet of the park.

The interim director also said there is another alternative to expand parking options. An existing grassy open space in the southeast quadrant of the park could be converted to a parking lot with 34 spots — more than double what the Southeast Third Avenue segment currently accommodates. Options for constructing the parking lot range from $137,000 to $500,000.

The proposal generated some discussion among council members. Councilmember Bryan Stucky wondered whether a cheaper option — and one more in line with the wishes of public commenters — such as striping the gravel road adjacent to the park would be feasible.

Monken said that because there is grass on the sides of the road where drivers park, the city would have to redo the striping every time the grass was mowed. Also, the paint would be considered a contaminant in nearby drainage ditches if applied repeatedly.

He added that if the city were to add any infrastructure to the road that acknowledged the space was meant for parking, the city would also be responsible to ensure the space met the city’s safety standards, which it currently does not.

Councilmember Dan Evans recommended if the city closes the road to vehicle access that it also put up signs indicating where available parking is located.

Mayor Bob Severns asked Monken how the city would pay for the construction of the new proposed parking lot. Monken said the Public Works department had not determined that yet and would be interested in hearing the council’s recommendations.

Council members ultimately decided to take time to consider the proposal before making a final recommendation.