CIVIC CENTER WILL RAISE PARKING FEE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 23, 1993                   TAG: 9302230187
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
CIVIC CENTER WILL RAISE PARKING FEE
The parking fee at the Roanoke Civic Center will be doubled for events when the admission charge is more than $5.
Effective April 1, the parking fee will be $2.
The fee will remain at $1 for shows with an admission charge of $5 or less.
The Civic Center Commission voted Monday to raise the fee to help pay the rising costs for parking attendants and other expenses.
Commission members said part of the additional revenue, $36,000, also will be used to help pay for shuttle buses that are provided for sellout events.
Commissioner Melinda Payne said she thinks the two-tier fee willconfuse Civic Center patrons.
"This will cause misunderstandings. I'm not sure that it will be clear to everyone," Payne said.
But Bob Chapman, Civic Center manager, said there is trend toward tiered fees, with a higher fee for higher admission charges.
Chapman said the parking fee will remain at $1 for most trade shows because their admission price is $5 or less.
Commissioner John Edwards, a commissioner, said a $2 charge would be disproportionate for events with ticket prices below $5.
The commission decided to delay the higher fee until April to avoid any complaints by people who attend the March 4 concert by Neil Diamond, which is expected to be a sellout.
City Councilman Delvis "Mac" McCadden said some of Diamond's fans might complain if the parking fee is increased before the concert.
"They might say they bought their tickets with the understanding that the parking fee was $1," said McCadden, council's liaison to the commission.
Under the new parking policy, the Civic Center management shall waive the parking fee for local, nonprofit sponsors when parking attendants are not required to assist the parking of vehicles.
If two or more paid admission events are held simultaneously, the event with the highest admission charge has precedence and the applicable parking fee will be charged to all vehicles.
For admission-free events, no parking fee will be charged. If a free-admission event and a paid-admission event are held simultaneously, the parking fee and the rate applicable to the paid-admission event shall be charged to all vehicles.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB