QUESTION: We’ve noticed several sidewalks blocked by parked vehicles in our neighborhood, restricting the use of those sidewalks for residents, children and, especially, for disabled or other limited mobility residents. Is parking on the sidewalk portion of our driveways permitted?
ANSWER: No
While our HOA Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CCRs) do not specifically address parking on sidewalks, the Texas Motor Vehicle laws and the San Antonio Codes of Compliance explicitly prohibit parking on sidewalks. The City Code is found in Chapter 19 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic), Article VIII (Miscellaneous Driving Rules, Section 19-286 (Driving or Parking on Sidewalks Prohibited): “(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or propel or park or stand any vehicle upon any sidewalk.”
Violators can be issued a parking violation citation by law enforcement personnel for the violation and/or their vehicle impounded, and city Code Compliance Officers can also issue a fine-inducing code violation to the owner of a vehicle parked on a sidewalk.
Please note that sidewalks extend through the driveway of each residence, and thereby parking on that portion of the driveway through which the sidewalk extends is prohibited.
Although the Springs is a gated community, as a neighborhood located within the San Antonio city limits, all City Codes of Compliance apply to us as well.
These periodic CCR messages intend to remind residents of The Springs of the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CCR’s) that apply to all Springs residents solely by our election to live in this community. The purpose of the CCR’s is to maintain specific standards for the good of us all, as articulated in their definition:
“THE SPRINGS AT STONE OAK is encumbered by these Restrictive Covenants for the following reasons: to seek to achieve the best and highest use and most appropriate development of the property; to protect lot owners against improper use of surrounding lots; to preserve so far as practical the natural beauty of the property; to guard against the erection of poorly designed or proportioned structures of improper or unsuitable materials; to encourage and secure the erection of attractive improvements on each lot with appropriate locations; and to secure and maintain proper setbacks from streets and adequate free space.”
If you are a Springs resident who has misplaced your copy of the CCR’s, or are a new resident who wasn’t provided a copy by the previous owners or your realtor, you can view (and download in Adobe Reader [.pdf] format) the complete Springs CCR’s and By-Laws at the Consolidated Bylaws and CCRs section of this website, located in the Pages & Links tab.
