Letters to the Editor: April 20 – 26, 2017
Why Aren’t There More After-Hours Parking Lots?
Editor,
I occasionally eat dinner at various establishments on Broad Street (West and East). I recently ran into the “Towing Vultures” (cost is/was $160) that hover over the parking areas surrounding West and East Broad, N. Washington St., N. Maple Ave. and Park Ave. Businesses located in the area include CVS, the Unity Club, Dogwood Tavern, Action Music, Station Theatre, etc. Parking signs clearly mark where “non-customers” can park (typically two-hour public parking with a green-lettered sign).
My question is why can’t folks use these spaces during a business’ non-operating hours or maybe use signs that read “No parking between the hours of XXX and XXX; For store customers only. Violators will be towed.”?
It would seem logical to open up all these extra spaces for folks that want to enjoy the night dinning in the area. This would also benefit local stores, as paying customers wouldn’t have to seek places elsewhere; thus stores losing potential earnings.
The other possible solution is to have these spaces “metered” with the same approach as the two-hour public parking signs. This could raise revenue, either to the City of Falls Church or the business.
I remember when I was a young teenager and worked at a parking lot for a large retail business. The parking lot typically closed when the store closed, around 8 p.m. However, if there was a concert going on (the Civic Center was right across the street), we would leave the lot open, and charge each vehicle $5, thus making an additional $100 for the store. With all the recent news about towing laws in and around Falls Church, let’s make it easier for consumers and local residents to access these venues/stores and not have to worry about being towed.
I’d rather spend $160 on food and beverages and other merchandise, then pay the “Towing Vultures.”
Michael Ness
Falls Church
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