Lynchburg City Council voted to raise parking fines, effective Jan. 1.
The delayed start date was chosen to give the city time to notify the public about the tougher penalties.
Under the measure passed by council, the fine for parking in a spot beyond its specified time limit will rise to $20, up from $10. The fine for parking in a prohibited area will rise to $30, up from $20.
These heftier charges were part of a series of amendments made to the city’s parking ordinance Tuesday. The changes, approved by council 6-1, are aimed primarily at downtown, which is the subject of an ongoing parking reform effort.
Other notable amendments include the creation of a new set of regulations governing paid parking machines, which city staffers hope to introduce to downtown next year.
The regulations require drivers to comply with the rules of any pay stations that might be installed and prohibits the vandalism of such machines.
The city has not released any specifics concerning how the future paid parking system will work. On-street parking in downtown is currently free, although time limits are imposed on spaces.
The prospect of moving to paid parking has drawn mixed reaction from the downtown community. Detractors feel it will discourage people from coming to the district and damage businesses. Supporters contend it will make the area more customer-friendly by promoting turnover and making parking easier to find.
Councilman Jeff Helgeson cast the lone dissenting vote against Tuesday’s measure because he was concerned about the effect of paid parking.
Other members, including Vice Mayor Bert Dodson and Councilman Michael Gillette, who both serve on the Lynchburg Parking Authority, spoke in defense of the plan.
Also Tuesday, council voted to grant Liberty University a permit to move new education programs with as many as 700 students into The Plaza shopping center.
LU says it is not the school’s intent to use this permit for its own classes. Instead, administrators are hoping to attract an outside school, such as a beauty or technical school, to the Plaza. No specific leases have been signed yet, but officials say they have been in talks with some potential tenants.
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