Warren City Council on Monday approved regulation to prohibit front yard parking.

The proposed language explains that “parking spaces in any residential district shall not be located in the front yard except in the following situations: a lot containing two or more street frontages (and) a lot with too narrow side yards or rear yard to permit vehicular passage.”

Similar criteria was also brought forth for “residential use parking spaces in any commercial or industrial district….”

“This was originally part of the zoning ordinance,” City Manager Nancy Freenock said, noting that it was removed from the ordinance and placed in the nuisance ordinance.

She said that the nuisance ordinance was revised and “somehow this was dropped.

“(We are) trying to return conditions to how this had been.”

“The Planning Commission, they see different spots in the city where over the years cars have gone different directions in to front yards without any real control,” City Planner David Hildebrand said.

The Planning Commission reviewed their recommendation one final time at a meeting on October 10.

Hildebrand told the commission that some individuals have had parking in their front yard approved through the Zoning Hearing Board.

“(We’re) not going to send out a force of front yard police,” Chairman Don Nelson said. “This is an education thing. This is going to be on a complaint basis, basically.”

Hildebrand said that the goal is “to try to put something back in place to try to hold off new ones in the future” and provide “better control in the ordinance.”

Nelson said this is a “proactive move rather than a reactive move.”

They recommended the language to council, who approved the measure unanimously on Monday.