Parking on the grass in residential areas may become more common under an ordinance adopted by Kingfisher city commissioners last week.

Kingfisher Police Department requested the ordinance to alleviate growing congestion in older residential neighborhoods where driveways are narrow or nonexistent and residents have multiple vehicles.

“What we’re seeing from Fifth Street all the way to 13th Street is that families are growing in smaller areas,” Assistant Police Chief David Catron said. “What we’ve noticed in the last year is how the streets are getting more crowded.”

The ordinance adds an exception to the city code’s requirement that vehicles must be parked on paved surfaces. The amendment allows vehicles in residential neighborhoods to be parked “adjacent to a street or driveway, in an organized and regular manner that is satisfactory to the public eye.”

The ordinance was eventually adopted by unanimous vote, but only after a discussion between Catron and Commissioner Roxie Alexander about the competing rights of the city to maintain aesthetic standards and rights of residents to use their private property as they please.

“We’re not after turning everyone’s yard into a parking lot or mechanic’s shop,” Catron said. “We want to give people the opportunity to park on the grass if they need to if they do it in an orderly fashion.”

“How are you going to decide what’s orderly or not?” Alexander said.

“It’s up to the city police and code enforcement officer to decide what’s not orderly,” Catron said. “Some cities are getting really strict about what you can and can’t do on your own property. I hope we don’t get that way. This is still America.”

City Attorney Jared Harrison pointed out that the ordinance specifically doesn’t override other residential restrictions, such as junk vehicles, excessive trash and other unsightly activities.

“That’s all still a violation of code,” he said.

“We still have the option under that same section to declare a nuisance and require the problem to be abated,” City Manager Dave Slezickey said.

“I know that I’m always being told that we can’t outlaw ugly but what about protective covenants? They can be really restrictive about what you do on your own property,” Alexander said.

“Those aren’t imposed by the city. Those are voluntary agreements when you buy property and they’re enforced by your HOA (homeowners’ association), not city government,” Harrison said. “In most of these older neighborhoods, there isn’t an active HOA, either because there never was one or because it’s just died out.”