(Okoboji)– While he didn’t get entirely what he wanted, the Okoboji city council Tuesday did agree to meet Butch Parks half-way in his request for the city to relax parking regulations in the area of O’Farrell Sisters restaurant and Okoboji Boat Works.
Currently, on-street parking near the restaurant is banned between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Parks said he’s making the request for the on-street parking because he wants to have the restaurant open during the evening, saying he needs to serve dinner in order for the business to cash-flow.
Parks said he’s hopeful he and the city could move forward in a spirit of cooperation, referring to the tumultuous past between the two.
After consulting with the police and fire chiefs, the council voted five-to-none to revise the city’s ordinance to relax parking restrictions from O’Farrell Sisters to the north, on the lakeside of the street.
Based on recommendations from the chiefs, the council decided not to relax the restrictions in the area of Okoboji Boat Works, siting concerns over the ability to get emergency vehicles through if on-street parking was to be allowed in that area.
