Towing FAQs

Parking/Towing Overview Towing Procedure Towing FAQs

Why Can’t We Allow Cars to Park on One Side of the Street?

The Board is unable to adopt the suggestion of allowing cars to park on one side of the street for a number of reasons. First, the streets of Rittenhouse at Locust Grove were specifically designed to allow two-way traffic, with no on-street parking. (Despite the popular view that this design is flawed in some way, the design was in fact approved by the Township and discussed in the Public Offering Statement prior to construction of the development). In order to allow cars to park on one side of the street, the Association would need to change the streets to allow only one-way traffic. This is simply not possible due to the cul-de-sacs in the development (e.g., residents would be able to enter the cul-de-sac but not be able to exit because the streets would be one-way either going in or coming out. In addition, because the streets were designed for two-way traffic with no on-street parking, the streets are fairly narrow. Allowing cars to park on one-side would cause problems when residents attempted to back out of their driveways as it is extremely difficult to avoid hitting a parked car (this is a problem we are facing now with illegally parked cars). Further, changing the streets to one way or otherwise allowing parking on the streets would require a change in design of the development. Such an endeavor would require not only require approval by 67% of the lot owners but also approval from the Township. This could take years and would likely be a very costly endeavor to pursue.

Why are illegally parked cars a threat of liability?

Illegally parked cars create hazardous maneuvering through the development. The development has a number of turns which are difficult to see beyond; particularly the turn on Rittenhouse Drive just after you enter the community. On a two-way street, a vehicle is driven on the right side of the road. Because of the narrowness of the streets, when cars are parked illegally, it forces drivers to move to the other side of the road. This has brought about some close-call accidents in the development because drivers are now on the wrong side of the road and in certain places cannot see a car coming directly at them until the last minute.

In addition, when cars are parked on both sides of the road, it creates a bottle neck for emergency vehicles. Ambulances, fire engines and other large emergency response teams are unable to pass through and will consequently be delayed in getting to their destination. If the situation occurs wherein an emergency response team is delayed because of illegally parked cars in the development, the Association (in addition to the vehicle owners) could be sued for any loss incurred by the delay. Aside from any potential suit, such a delay could result in someone’s death. The Association feels that in-and-of-itself is too large a risk to assume just for the convenience of being able to park in front of your home.

If I can no longer park on the street, where can I park?

In addition to resident garages and driveways, the development has a number of areas designated for overflow parking. They can be found along Rittenhouse Drive and in both cul-de-sacs on Braddock and Pennsbury Lane. The Association monitored the parking of these areas for a few weeks and Association found that these areas more often than not have parking spots available both during the day and at night. In addition, parking is available down the entire length of the south side of Locust Grove Boulevard. We urge residents when having a party to advise their guests to park along Locust Grove Boulevard.

Why can’t we change some of the common areas into overflow parking areas?

The common areas that would be large enough house another overflow parking area would are not available for change (e.g, they house New Jersey wet lands or wooded areas which cannot be developed). In addition, many residents paid a premium to be guaranteed a home which either faced the gazebo area or backed up to woods. To change those areas would diminish home values significantly and would be extremely costly to undertake. Further, many of these areas are easements which contain underground utility and cable lines. Accordingly, this is simply not a viable option.

There is a road between 164 and 166 Pennsbury which leads to the back of the homes. Why not turn the area behind these homes into a parking lot?

The gravel road between 164 and 166 Pennsbury is an emergency vehicle access road. It allows fire engines and other vehicles to access the back of the development in the event of an emergency. In addition, the ground behind those homes is considered wet land and cannot be developed.