The Langley City Council has approved rules that allow residential areas to set up zones that require parking permits.

The new ordinance sets the framework for any neighborhood to establish such areas but the genesis of the code change is based on parking headaches on Second Street, between Anthes and Park streets.

Residents have been complaining of late night noise generated from Mo’s Pub and Eatery customers. The problems range from a lack of parking and people pulling into and blocking private driveways late at night to slamming car doors, loud motorcycles and headlights shining in windows.

It’s been particularly troublesome for Craig Carty, who told the council he is battling cancer and needs his rest.

“When I hear tires and gravel flying in the middle of the night, I wake up,” he said.

In response to the problems, city officials drafted rules that allow neighborhoods to establish areas where a parking permit is required. To do so, more than 50 percent of the effected residents must sign a petition.

Of the six residents on Second Street, five signed the petition, according to Jeff Arango, director of Langley’s Community Planning department.

Permits are only required during nighttime hours, from 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. The zone is in effect seven days a week but does not apply during special events, such as the annual Choochokam Arts festival.

Several concerns about the new rules were voiced by people in the audience. Bob Trenchard worried that the ordinance was too specific to Second Street, that it should be more broad so other neighborhoods could also set up such zones.

Mayor Larry Kwarsick said the ordinance already allowed that and it was approved in a 3-0 decision. Councilman Jim Sundberg was not present at the meeting and Councilman Hal Seligson abstained with concerns that the ordinance would not solve the larger issue of parking problems in a small city.