Sidewalks blocked

How should a Neighborhood address a persistent problem of sidewalks blocked by cars and trucks in driveways? 

In Barony Place II there are 5-6 sidewalks that are regularly blocked by parked vehicles. Some sidewalks are blocked by vehicles that are too long for the driveway, even if the vehicle is parked up close to the garage door.

Other sidewalks are blocked because the car or truck is not too long, but it is parked back from the garage door to the point that it either fully or partially blocks the sidewalk.

The best, easiest, fastest and cheapest way to resolve the problem would be just to knock on the neighbor's door, point out the problem, and politely ask the resident to pull the vehicle up very close to the garage door. Unfortunately, it might also be the easiest way to get punched in the nose or have to listen to an impolite response.

It's not really a HOA problem, but it could be if the sidewalk is considered HOA property that is covered by the CC&Rs. If it is, then the HOA could send a nastygram to the homeowner and trot on down its established path to compliance.

Another solution is to call the Richland County Sheriff's Department or the Community Assistance Team (CAT) deputy, Travis Roberts, whose phone number is in The Summit Scoop. I have not discussed this with Travis, but he would probably stop by for a friendly visit with the homeowner or resident to explain the State law about blocking sidewalks.

Some of the larger vehicles won't fit in the garage. Some garages are too full of "stuff". In most cases, if the vehicle driver just pulled up as close to the garage door as possible, neighbors would probably accept partial, or even full, blocking of the sidewalk.

Is this something that the Neighborhood Representative / Voting Member could or should address? 

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