« Back to News & Notices

Ordinance #403-2024 passed first reading

10/18/2024

The Three Forks City Council will hold public hearings on October 8, 2024 and November 12, 2024, to hear an ordinance amending Title 7, Chapter 2, Section 15: School Area Parking Restrictions.  This is to reflect the new traffic and parking patterns near the Three Forks School.  The draft ordinance is available at City Hall and will be available on the City’s website at www.threeforksmontana.us once the transition to the new website is complete. 

Written and verbal comment will be accepted at the hearing, or may be submitted via email to cturner@threeforksmontana.us or ksmith@threeforksmontana.us prior to the hearing (deadline of 5PM on 10/8/2024 and through 11/12/2024).

Both hearings will be held at City Hall, 206 Main Street, Three Forks, Montana at 6:00PM.  Please contact the City Office at (406) 285-3431 for any questions. 

 

ORDINANCE NO. 403-2024

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 7, CHAPTER 2, SECTION 15: SCHOOL AREA PARKING RESTRICTIONS

WHEREAS, in 2015 the City adopted restrictions to parking for roughly two blocks surrounding the Three Forks School via Ordinance #362-2015.

WHEREAS, beginning the end of 2021 and into the 2023-2024 school year, the Three Forks School did a major renovation and addition construction project.  The School’s bond money for new construction earned interest while it was in the bank and before construction was complete.  With those funds, the School Board decided to renovate the sidewalks and parking lot at the corner of East Neal Street and North 2nd Avenue East.

WHEREAS, in March 2024 the School, City and Gallatin County Sheriff Office representatives met to work on a better plan for traffic flow around the school since entrance doors had changed due to the new construction.  It was agreed at this meeting that the School would perform its reconstruction of the parking lot and East Neal Street, and then the City would amend the ordinance and place better signage where parking limitations exist, which addresses the following identified topics:

  • Appropriate designation of a “1-hour parking” area on North 4th Avenue East to a loading/unloading zone due to the Elementary’s new drive-through drop off area and new entrance door.
  • Modify formerly the “buses only” zone on East Neal Street to designated with handicap parking spaces after construction.
  • Modify the “staff and buses only” driveway for the new entrance of the Three Forks Middle School to be used by the parents and public alike.
  • Require all cars to park parallel to the curb/street edge on all city streets in Three Forks unless otherwise designated with painted parking spaces. However, the west half of North 4th Avenue East consistently had vehicles parked perpendicular to the street edge which caused safety concerns for the two-lane traffic in this block.
  • Modify formerly designated as “1-hour parking” to allow all day parking for anyone, as there are no homes or driveways.
  • Address Oak Street (both on the west and east sides of the School property) being it is only 33-feet wide which is half the width of most streets in Three Forks. These streets will have “No Parking” on one side of the street to allow for safe travel.

WHEREAS, the Mayor has the authority to determine and designate official traffic signs and signals, and the duty to place and maintain said signs, pursuant to 7-1-7 Traffic Signs and Signals of the Three Forks Code.  In agreement with the Three Forks School District, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, and the adjacent property owners affected by these changes, the Mayor designated the end of East Oak Street from North 5th Avenue East to North 4th Avenue East as one way traffic only headed west; on North 4th Avenue East from East Oak Street to East Neal Street as one way traffic only headed south, and the Mayor also designated East Oak Street between North 2nd Avenue East and MT Hwy-2/Frontage Road as no parking on the north half and directed Public Works staff to install barricades and signage.

WHEREAS, it is recommended that defined current parking restrictions in 7-2-15 be amended, and clearly worded and properly placed as deemed necessary by the Mayor, to match the new traffic flow patterns of the public accessing the school now that the construction is complete.

WHEREAS, the City has spoken with all affected property owners prior to any decisions to change traffic to one-way or to post “No Parking” signs.  The City also posted notices on its Facebook page and website the week prior to school.  The School held an Open House meeting on August 20, 2024, at 6PM and announced this new traffic pattern to all parents in attendance, as well as hosted the meeting Live on their Facebook page.  There were several questions/comments on the City’s Facebook page which were attempted to be explained prior to the Open House.  To date, there has been one member of the public inform the City of new turning habits developing out of the parking lot, and no other public input, positive nor negative.

 WHEREAS, now that staff and parents are accustomed to the new flow and no further changes are recommended, all areas in the attached map will have legible signage installed that prohibit:

  • The blocking of private driveways;
  • Parking in excess of 1-hour limited areas, without a city-issued parking permit displayed;
  • Parking in a designated handicap parking space without a State-issued parking permit;
  • Parking in a designated loading/unloading of students and/or goods.

WHEREAS, pursuant to §7-1-4131, MCA notice of public hearings for the first and second readings of this ordinance amendment were published in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle on September 28 and October 1; in the Three Forks Voice on October 2; and in the Belgrade News on October 3, 2024, as well as posted on the City Facebook page, and around town at various physical locations.  Notice of the second hearing is scheduled for publication in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle on October 29; in the Three Forks Voice on October 30; and in the Belgrade News on October 31, 2024.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the Three Forks City Council, that Title 7, Chapter 2, Section 15 is amended as follows:

TITLE 7, CHAPTER 2, SECTION 15 SCHOOL AREA PARKING RESTRICTIONS:

Exclusive of adjacent lot owners who will be issued a City permit to exceed the 1-hour parking, and School-issued parking permits for School-maintained property, parking shall be restricted in the City right-of-way as follows:

  1. Year round:
    1. East Oak Street – between North 5th Avenue East and North 4th Avenue East:
      1. One-way traffic flow pattern traveling east to west from North 5th Avenue to North 4th Avenue East;
      2. North half of this block has designated angled parking spaces;
      3. South half of East Oak Street is designated “No Parking”.
    2. North 4th Avenue East – from East Oak Street to East Neal Street:
      1. One-way traffic flow pattern traveling from north to south;
    3. East Oak Street – between North 2nd Avenue East and MT Hwy-2/Frontage Road:
      1. North half of East Oak Street “No Parking”.
    4. Commencing on roughly August 20 of each year and continuing through roughly June 6 of the next calendar year (as the school dates change from year to year), from the hours of 7:30AM to 4:00PM Monday through Thursday, parking and stopping of any vehicles as defined in 7-2-1 of this Title and Chapter shall be restricted as follows. (Refer to Section E of this Title and Chapter for outside school dates.)
      1. North 4th Avenue East – from East Oak Street to East Neal Street:
        1. Easterly side 1-hour parking;
        2. Westerly side Student loading/unloading and handicap spaces.
      2. North 4th Avenue East – from East Neal Street to East Ash Street (both sides of street):
        1. 1-hour parking.
      3. North 3rd Avenue East – from East Neal Street to East Ash Street (both sides of street):
        1. 1-hour parking.
      4. North 2nd Avenue East – from MT Hwy-2/Frontage Road to East Oak Street:
        1. Both sides are all day parking, maximum 72-hours (refer to 7-2-5(F) of this Title).
      5. North 2nd Avenue East – from East Oak Street to East Neal Street:
        1. Easterly side is all day parking, maximum 72-hours (refer to 7-2-5(F) of this Title);
        2. Westerly side only 1-hour parking.
      6. North 2nd Avenue East – from East Neal Street to East Ash Street:
        1. North half of Easterly side is all day parking, maximum 72-hours (refer to 7-2-5(F) of this Title);
        2. South half of Easterly side 1-hour parking;
        3. Westerly side 1-hour parking.
      7. East Oak Street – between North 2nd Avenue East and MT Hwy-2/Frontage Road:
        1. South half 1-hour parking.
      8. East Neal Street – between North 2nd and North 4th Avenues East:
        1. North half is designated (from west to east) as student drop off/pick up, followed by Emergency Services parking, then delivery and/or supply loading and unloading, and finally handicap parking spaces.
        2. South half (from west to east):
          1. Adjacent to the parking lot is all day parking, maximum 72-hours (refer to 7-2-5(F) of this Title);
          2. From the alley between North 2nd and 3rd Avenues East all the way to North 4th Avenue East is 1-hour parking.
        3. The City shall issue parking permit(s) exempting the adjacent lot owner(s) from the 1-hour parking area restrictions and authorizing adjacent lot owner(s) permission to park vehicles in the 1-hour parking area for longer than the restricted time so long as the City-issued parking permit is displayed in the windshield. The parking permit does not authorize the holder to park in any other parking restricted area(s) of the City, nor park longer than 72-hours (refer to 7-2-5(F) of this Title).
        4. Three Forks School District shall issue parking permits for the school employees/students parking lots, which are outside of the City’s rights-of-way, and administer the permits as it sees fit.
        5. Any time outside of the dates and hours listed in 7-2-15(B) are exempt from these provisions, as are special events held at the School (i.e. sports, programs, open houses) which draw larger crowds than normal daily activities.

            SAVE AND EXCEPT for the amendments described herein for this Section, the remaining provisions of this Title and Chapter are hereby confirmed and ratified as adopted.