Where?s Your Hitchin? Post?

Developers are discovering more and more new Fayetteville city ordinances that are sending them back to the drawing board as they make construction plans.

The relatively new bicycle parking requirements for commercial and residential property is six pages long. If a property has a minimum of 25 off-street automobile parking spaces, it must meet the bicycle ordinance’s specifications.

A chart shows that commercial developments must have one dual-parking rack for bicycles per 30 automobile spaces. Residential requirements are one dual-parking rack for each 50 automobile spaces. The rack must be within 50 feet of a public entry and be adequately lighted to minimize bicycle thefts.

The ordinance applies regardless of whether it is a retail business and regardless of whether any employees actually ride bikes.

Developers must properly embed the rack nine inches into a concrete footing. And the rack’s pipes, bolts and coating must meet specific requirements.

A four-bike parking rack would run anywhere from $110-$140 according to one of the rack suppliers listed on the ordinance.

Maybe the controversial tree ordinance is really designed to give Fayetteville workers a place to tie their horse to while at the office. What’s next, a mandatory trough for the horses to drink from while your at work? What in the name of Festus is going on here?