First Ward residents fight to keep parking spaces from outsiders

CHARLOTTE — UPDATE: The City of Charlotte told Channel 9 on Monday that it recently completed a review of parking problems on a First Ward street and will not be taking any action at this time.

Channel 9 reported last week how one family is holding parking spaces with wooden pallets because they believe uptown workers are flooding their street in search of free parking.

A city official told Channel 9 that Parkside Terrace Lane is a private street and "does not meet city standards to be taken over for maintenance."

The city currently has parking signs on the street that are only in effect during major events taking place nearby.

One resident told Channel 9 on Monday that she will continue to ask the city to take over full-time jurisdiction and parking enforcement for her street.

Full statement from Charlotte Department of Transportation:

"...the City has already evaluated the street. The street will remain private, as it does not meet City standards to be taken over for maintenance. There are utility, storm water, and easement issues that would need correcting before the City could consider doing so.

That leaves the residents on the street open to determining the fate of the street. It is private. They have options on assigning parking spaces, putting up private street signs (usually they are installed on the street name marker blade), and enforcing as they wish. Should they decide to treat the street differently than it is now, the City would remove the current signage (or they could)."

Doreen Szymanski

CDOT Communications

Sept. 9: Some residents in Charlotte's First Ward said employees from uptown are filling their streets with cars and causing parking problems during the workweek.

Resident Linda Byers said she had to take extreme measures to hold a parking spot on her street.

Byers lives at the corner of Alexander Street and Parkside Terrace Lane and pulls wooden pallets onto the street every day when she drives away just to hold her parking spot.

"If you look over here, look at all the cars. These people don't live here," she told Channel 9's Paul Boyd.

Byers believes employees from uptown Charlotte are parking in the streets in her First Ward neighborhood and then walking to work.

"I guess they're trying to save money for parking but they're inconveniencing the residents," she said.

Her two children also drive cars so she puts down large commercial water bottles and a big orange cone to hold their parking spots.

"At the end of the day, I'd come home from work and everything's just filled up," Byers said.

"It's ridiculous,” she said. “And I feel like it depreciates the value of the home but it's, like, what else can we do? We've tried everything. We've tried contacting the city. They tell us there's nothing we can do.”

Channel 9 asked Charlotte's Department of Transportation to weigh in last week and a department official said they were going to look at the issue.

The only residential parking program in the First Ward occurs during major events, according to city documents.
Meanwhile, the Third and Fourth wards have full residential parking programs in place that require permits.

"I really don't know what the solution is but I know my mom pays over $5,000 in taxes and she's not guaranteed a spot and that's a problem," Byers said.

The parking programs in the Third and Fourth wards costs residents $30 per year. The parking permits are enforced by the city throughout the day.

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