THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410280825
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL REED, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
The city will clear an estimated $1.2 million from its pay-to-park operations this year and plans to extend the hours of its Oceanfront lots and meters next year to reap bigger bucks.
This was the gist of a report presented Tuesday to the City Council by Henry Ruiz, head of the city's Parking Systems Management office.
In addition, Ruiz recommended that the city install a ticket distributing machine at its 25th Street and Pacific Avenue lot and charge an as-yet-undetermined hourly rate for parking patrons.
The lot now operates on a flat summertime rate of $3 a day on weekdays and $4 a day on weekends. Locals who drive cars bearing Virginia Beach decals can park for $1 after 5 p.m. any day of the week.
Ruiz also wants to initiate a parking validation program at municipal lots. Under the scheme, parking customers would have all or a portion of their fees paid for by resort merchants with whom they do business while visiting the Oceanfront.
Another recommendation calls for extending parking operations at manned municipal lots at 25th, 19th, 4th streets and the Dome site. Ruiz suggests extending operations until 2 a.m. daily from April 1 through Sept. 30 each year.
Last summer these lots were manned from 8 a.m. to midnight daily, from May 15 through Sept. 30. No hourly or monthly changes are recommended for the two municipal lots in Sandbridge.
Under Ruiz's plan enforcement of residential permit parking would be reduced by a month from April 1 through Sept. 30 but enforcement hours would be extended from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Parking in residential areas that require permits is now restricted from April 1 through Oct. 31 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Permit fees for residents and guests will be determined around the first of the year, after a series of public hearings, said Ruiz.
A breakdown of revenue figures gathered by Ruiz's office so far this year shows that parking meters will generate $539,000, or nearly twice as much as municipal lots, which should bring in $271,000 at the end of a 12-month period.
Parking fines will chip in another $400,000, while the residential parking permit program will add another $6,500.
Almost half of the $1.2 million amassed by the city's parking program will be funneled into the Tourism Growth Investment Fund, a revenue pool set aside to build resort-friendly projects.
Some parking money goes to help pay off the $1.3 million cost of the land for the 25th Street parking lot, which opened last summer, said Ruiz.
The rest goes to pay for parking programs salaries, operations and future development. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
PARKING PROPOSALS
A ticket distributing machine at the city's 25th Street and
Pacific Avenue lot to charge by the hour instead of by the day.
A parking validation program at municipal lots, in which resort
merchants would pay all or part of customers' fees.
Extending parking operations until 2 a.m. daily at municipal
lots.
Reducing by a month residential permit parking, but extending the
daily hours.
by CNB