The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

City investigates parking practices near Scott Stadium

"Parking is a privilege, not a right."

That's how City Councilman Blake Caravati described the problems relating to residents selling parking in their yards during football games, a practice that the city will be investigating further tomorrow.

Charlottesville officials will be out during tomorrow's game against Georgia Tech to gather more evidence against residents who sell parking spots in their yards.

"There's a lot of violations of the ordinance," Charlottesville Zoning Administrator Heidi Misslbeck said.

Misslbeck said she will pass along the evidence she collects to the city attorney's office to prosecute offenders.

Operating a parking lot in a residential area is a zoning violation, Asst. City Attorney Lisa R. Kelley said.

The penalty for violating the ordinance is a $100 fine, Kelley said.

The city attorney's office is assisting Misslbeck in collecting parking violation fines.

Caravati said the city already is taking action against flagrant offenders of the ordinance by sending notices to the property owners informing them of their violations.

Offenders could receive fines for each occasion they sell parking on their yards, Kelley said.

"Ignorance of the law is not an excuse," Caravati said.

One solution could involve extending permit-parking regulations to 24 hours a day. City Council already took such action in the University Circle area in April.

Caravati said he would also like to improve the wording of the current parking ordinance because he said it is vague and difficult to enforce.

"In the next year [I want to] fine-tune the law," he added.

Under the current ordinance, the courts decide the punishment on a case-by-case system and the property owner, tenant or both could be found liable, Kelley said.

Football fans and their cars overwhelm neighborhoods near Scott Stadium, a problem Caravati said he would like to see alleviated by the next football season.

"I only want our citizens to be respected in the quiet enjoyment of their property," he said.

Kelley said she received complaints from residents irritated that their neighbor's yard is a parking lot or that they could not get in or out of their own street.

Caravati said the burden from residents selling parking degrades the neighborhoods and the effects are getting out of hand.

He said he has seen Virginia football fans ripping "No Parking" signs out of the ground to create additional places to park.

"It's that kind of abhorrent behavior that we're after," he added.

Kelley said the city also is checking into the legality of people who do not charge for parking in their yard or give the money to charity.

But Caravati said he does not believe the people who claim they are donating parking fees to charity or other causes.

Comments

Latest Podcast

The University’s Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admission, Greg Roberts, provides listeners with an insight into how the University conducts admissions and the legal subtleties regarding the possible end to the consideration of legacy status.



https://open.spotify.com/episode/02ZWcF1RlqBj7CXLfA49xt