BOUNTIFUL -- City officials have approved placing new parking signs in front of the LDS Temple on Bountiful Boulevard in hopes the signs will help alleviate a parking problem for neighbors in the area.
In action taken recently, the city council voted 5-0 to place four new "No Temple Parking" signs in front of the temple on the east side of Bountiful Boulevard. Neighbors initiated a request that something be done to address the problem.
The new signs were first recommended by the city's Traffic Safety Committee and then brought to the council for final approval.
Even with the new signs, officials admit the new parking recommendations are unenforceable. Paul Rowland, city engineer, said he hopes the signs will "keep honest people honest."
If the signs don't work, Rowland said, city officials may have to work with the president of the local temple to address the next logical step.
The parking problem on the east side of Bountiful Boulevard has become especially acute in the past few months since the Ogden Temple was closed for renovation, according to neighbors. With more people using the Davis County facility, the number of patrons has almost doubled.
City officials noted a Google Earth picture taken in June in front of the temple showed 16 cars parked along the west side of Bountiful Boulevard and four parked in front of the houses on the east, while many parking stalls in the temple's parking lot were empty.
Rowland said driving past the temple on almost any day will show the same pattern or even worse.
City officials do have reason to think the signs may work, however.
"No Temple Parking" signs were placed on Temple View Drive, which did stop some of the parking concerns on that street.
Councilman Tom Tolman said the temple has sufficient parking to serve patrons.
"There is plenty of parking at the temple, we just need to encourage it," he said.
Neighbors on Bountiful Boulevard, who signed a petition outlining the problem, had offered to pay for signs in front of their homes.
With council approval, the city will now pay for and place the signs.
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