Washington’s City Council is moving toward parking restrictions on a section of Water Street and the parking lot at the intersection of Water and Bonner streets.

During its Feb. 26 meeting, the council decided to conduct a public hearing on that proposal at its April 9 meeting. The decision came after a discussion involving Stacy Drakeford, the city’s director of police and fire services; Frankie Buck, the city’s director of public works; the mayor and council members.

The proposed restrictions would affect parking on the 100 block of Water Street and limit parking in the parking lot (as in other city-owned parking lots) to business-related parking after 9 p.m. in an effort to prevent loitering there. The existing allowance of parking on the 100 block often results in a traffic “bottleneck,” according to council members and other city officials.

Buck suggested the parking restrictions for the 100 block of Water Street in a memorandum he sent to the mayor and City Council. “Water Street is 21 feet wide in this area with 9 feet designated for on street parking. This leaves only 12 feet of travel lane for two-way traffic. The minimum standard for residential streets with marginal access is 24 feet of asphalt lane. The area is substandard and hazardous to motorist(s),” Buck wrote. “I feel City Council should be aware of the hazard and discuss the removal of parking along Water Street in this area.”

At the council’s Feb. 12 meeting, City Manager Bobby Roberson informed the council about a suggestion to make Water Street one-way from Market Street to McNair Street. Council members voiced concerns with that suggestion.

Council member William Pitt said then he believes the problem on Water Street has more to do with parking on the narrow section of Water Street from Market Street toward Festival Park because its difficult for vehicles heading in opposite directions to pass each other. “It’s kind of like playing slow-motion chicken. You got to see who’s going to go first,” he said at the Feb. 12 meeting.

Councilman Doug Mercer concurred. “The problem appears to be the 100 block. It’s a bottleneck,” he said then.

Councilwoman Virginia Finnerty said making Water Street one way would be dangerous. “We already have a problem with Main Street — people going the wrong way and almost killing each other. We want to do a second one? I think it’s a big mistake,” she said.