Harlan Beverage Owner: Illegal SEPTA Parkers Interfere with Deliveries

Joe Wolfrom has a problem. Delivery trucks are having a hard time maneuvering their vehicles into the unloading zone behind his business, Harlan Beverage on King Street in Malvern Borough.

The SEPTA train station’s lot, just a stone’s throw from Harlan’s, is often full. Commuters, Wolfrom told the Malvern Borough Council last week, have taken to parking in the few spaces that wrap around Wolfrom’s beer and soda distributor when they can’t find an spot at the station.

The extra cars, Wolfrom said, lead to considerable delays in the delivery process—slowing down not only him, but also the drivers who adhere to tight schedules.

The borough council explained that the police could not issue citations to the illegal parkers, and that the best solution would be for him to post warning signs and have the cars towed. Wolfrom, who has rented the building for seven years, feels he should not have to spend the time or money dealing with a problem he didn’t cause.

According to SEPTA spokesperson Heather Redfern, Wolfrom contacted them about the issue only once, in November 2010. 

"Mr. Wolfrom expressed to Patricia Miller, SEPTA Constituent Relations Coordinator, that he would like signs posted to warn commuters not to park on his property. SEPTA cannot post signs on private property, but informed Mr. Wolfrom that he can post such signs on his property and have cars towed that are parked there illegally," Redfern wrote in an e-mail.

Redfern also sent a parking diagram (PDF) for Malvern passengers, which can be found attached to this article.