City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading, and Final Passage of an Ordinance to amend Section 10-4-8: Parking for more than 72 Continuous Hours. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
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ISSUE: Consideration of a request to amend City Code Section 10-4-8 to continue to allow residents to apply for exemptions to the 72-hour rule.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council pass the proposed ordinance on first reading and schedule it for second reading, public hearing and final passage on Saturday, September 14, 2019.
BACKGROUND: Per Alexandria City Code Section 10-4-8, no vehicle may park in a given space on a public street for a period of more than 72 consecutive hours. The rule, known as the "72-hour rule", applies to everyone, even residents parking in front of their homes or residents with parking permit stickers.
In 2017, the City undertook a comprehensive review of the 72-rule to determine if it should be eliminated or modified. In May of 2017, City Council approved keeping the 72-hour rule, but creating a pilot program to allow exemptions. Through this pilot, residents who need to park on-street for longer than 72-hours may apply for an exemption through the City using an online application form. If approved, residents may park their vehicles on-street for up to 14 days. Vehicles must be parked within 1/8 of a mile of one's place of residence (for reference, this is between 1.5 and 2 blocks in Old Town) and up to four exemptions are allowed per calendar year.
City Council approved the pilot program until November 1, 2019. As discussed below, staff evaluated community feedback, exemption usage data, and feedback from Parking Enforcement to develop recommendations on the program.
DISCUSSION: The continuation and modification ...
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