Merchants: Parking enforcement crosses line

Décor de France owner Jeannie Etheridge was recently having lunch at Terrace on the Circle when she observed from the second story what merchants say is becoming an increasingly common sight on St. Armands Circle: a city staffer issuing multiple parking citations.

“They go right down the line,” she said. “If one person is parked over the line, everyone has to park over the line. It’s a domino effect.”

Other Circle business owners are concerned that enforcement is crossing the line.

Brian Wilson, owner of Madison Avenue Café & Deli, said that his biggest concern is the three-hour time limit now enforced on the Circle six days a week. He feels that it prevents customers from enjoying the Circle.

“They can’t get out of their cars, have lunch, go shopping, go to the salon and maybe go get an ice cream without coming back and finding a ticket on their cars,” Wilson said.

City Parking Manager Mark Lyons said that there was a citywide shift in enforcement after the Sarasota City Commission voted to bag parking meters in March.

“Our focus became more of a parking monitoring and enforcement program so that we could help ensure that there is turnover within those spaces,” he said.

Parking staff was previously “more broadly assigned,” Lyons said, but the shift in approach has caused staff to focus more on areas such as St. Armands.

The commission also voted in March to make parking enforcement uniform in downtown, St. Armands Circle and Hillview’s Southside Village, with enforcement hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. That increased the Circle’s enforcement hours, which were previously 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week.

Diana Corrigan, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association, said at a June 12 St. Armands Business Improvement District (BID) meeting that dinner customers often can’t shop after their meals because of time constraints.

Corrigan told the Longboat Observer that she has received many phone calls, emails, letters and visits from customers angry about parking tickets in recent months.

“They have come back so angry that they have returned the things that they have purchased on the Circle,” she said. “It’s really hurting the businesses.”

Eric Seace, owner of Planet and president of the Circle Association, said that merchants are hoping for a “toned down” approach. For example, if a car is parked just slightly over a line, perhaps a ticket writer could give the vehicle operator a break.

“We’re just looking for realistic parking enforcement,” he said.

Lyons plans to attend a Circle Association board of directors meeting in August to discuss enforcement with merchants.

And, as he pointed out, anyone who feels that he or she has been unfairly ticketed can appeal the citation and include documentation, such as pictures, to help them make his or her case within 14 days of the citation’s issuance.

Valid excuse?
Anyone issued a parking ticket has 14 days to dispute the citation. Appeal forms are available at parking.sarasotagov.com.
Here are a few reasons for which your citation could dismissed, according to appeal forms:
• I’m a current handicap permit holder and received a citation for parking in a handicap space without displaying my permit.
• I was involved in an emergency that prevented me from moving my car before the time limit elapsed.
• I was incorrectly cited in a numbered space of a paid parking lot where I had already paid the fee and was within the allotted time.

These excuses, however, will probably leave you writing a check for $25 (if you were over the time limit) or $35 (if you were outside the line):
• I didn’t know the city’s parking regulations.
• I had an appointment conflict or was late going to or returning from appointments.
• I couldn’t find a valid parking space.