A long-awaited answer to the town’s growing downtown parking and towing issue may be reached at Monday’s Chapel Hill Town Council meeting.
In recent months, the council has seen an increase in complaints from residents who say private companies are aggressively towing downtown lots through the use of video surveillance, among other issues.
After reviewing the problems, town staff devised a new ordinance that would set forth stricter guidelines for towing companies and lot owners to help alleviate those complaints.
The council is expected to review and vote on the ordinance tonight.
The ordinance would require towing lots to be located no more than 15 miles from the Chapel Hill town limits to counter resident complaints that those lots are too far away from the town.
Councilwoman Penny Rich said limiting the distance individuals must travel to retrieve their cars after being towed makes the process safer — especially for women.
“It was important that the council stepped in,” she said. “The citizens felt unsafe.”
Towing companies would also have to accept cash, credit or debit card payments instead of just cash.
The ordinance would require that one informational sign be located at every third parking space and that property owners explicitly state that vehicles will be towed when they leave the property.