DPD clearing streets all over the neighborhood
The DPD and neighborhood emphasis on Resident Parking Only in the southern portion of Lower Greenville is having a positive effect on parking issues in the northern end. The DPD Central Division, which only late last year was given responsibility for all of Greenville Avenue south of Mockingbird Lane as part of a divisional reorganization, has been tightly enforcing parking regulations on streets like Goodwin (near Blue Goose) and McCommas (near the Granada Theatre), which have No Parking on one or both side restrictions.
Our unofficial count of eight flatbed tow trucks coming south on Matilda on Friday and Saturday night dovetails with DPD officers telling BD they are not tolerating parking violations anywhere in the Lower Greenville area. This is a welcome relief to many residents, who believed the DPD's Northeast Division was phoning it in every weekend since many of their officers also worked off-duty jobs at these restaurants and did not want to offend their second-job bosses.
Residents on at least two more streets north of Belmont are working on their RPO petitions, hoping to have them ready by the end of July for the City survey. LGNA still opposes RPO for any street in their area, but these residents really don't give a rat's butt what Mad Maxine and her cronies say anymore. They prefer quiet and safe streets to fancy yards-of-the-month.
If you get desperate for a free parking space, LGNA has plenty for you - click here for a map and list of streets.
On the Lowest Greenville side, at least five cars and trucks were towed for parking in existing RPO zones this weekend, including two on La Vista Court parked right next to the RPO signs. Nearly 200 flyers have been stuck on windshields of vehicles parked in the new RPO zones since last weekend. Next week, DPD will ticket all vehicles illegally parked in RPO zones. Then every week after that in July, anything parked in an RPO zone without a hangtag is going downtown to the City Impound lot.
[BD was out on Greenville when the owner of one of these vehicles came up to the DPD officers asking how to find his now-towed truck. We were all amazed to hear him admit he knew parking on La Vista Court was wrong, but he took a chance and did it anyway. Doh!]
It's fun to watch all the bar patrons swerving in and out of empty parking spots on 5800 Richmond, only to be shocked by all the new RPO signs. DPD issued more than 20 tickets for illegal parking on Friday night in the area south of Belmont, towing at least two. On Saturday night, at least four cars were towed from Lowest Greenville.
BD chased about a dozen cars off the streets by shining his flashlight on the new signs just as people were putting their car into parking gear. A few told BD they did not think anyone could tell them where they could or could not park. BD offered to help them get a personal invitation from a police officer to the local courts to dispute the new signs.
The parking slots on the side of the condominiums behind the Whole Foods are a problem area too. Most of the residents in this property are older people, so it's obvious when some fat gangbanger and his posse are parking here illegally. If you can't name the guy who owns the condos, then its obvious you can't park there.
DPD was called when one drunk gangbanger insisted on parking in a space next to the condos, then staggering off to party some more. Upon returning to his vehicle, DPD pulled him over for investigation of DWI.
Another hole in the parking fabric is the Blockbuster parking lot. Even though their previous towing service was kicked off the lot nearly two months ago, the property owners and Whole Foods management team can't get on the stick to sign a new towing contract. Every weekend finds more cars parked there and more trash and bottles left behind.
