City to valet services: Don't take the money!

BD Note - We are waiting on some more documents about the proposed changes in valet parking in Dallas. We will update this story shortly

The City's Parking Management team has put all of Dallas' 180+ valet operators on notice: Don't you be charging for parking no more!

BD's phone has been off the hook with valet operators calling to cry about a come to Jesus workshop held Friday morning at City Hall. Only four operators were there - since most of them were still sleeping after working late Thursday night. They are getting certified letters with the same message.

After listening to all the crying, here's the essence of the policy (it's not a new policy, just a reinforced interpretation of the existing policy) as they heard it. (BD is waiting on copies of documents and letters, so this story will be updated often!)

Every business has to provide free and required off-street parking spaces - the size and type of business determine the number of spaces.

For years, bars and restaurants claimed that valets were not charging for the parking spaces, just the honor of paying $20 so some kid barely out of puberty can drive your car to a parking lot ten feet or ten yards from the front door.

The City says that interpretation was oh so very wrong. The business and its agents (valets) cannot in any way, shape or form collect any money (read: tips, suggested tips, reimbursements, donations to charity) from a customer in order to park in a space that is part of the free and required off-street parking inventory.

After nearly 15 years, the City has finally agreed with thousands of neighborhood leaders like the two BD's - BD and Bill Dickerson: Valet parking is a glorified scam to collect extra income for the bars and restaurants, which eventually forced patrons into the neighborhoods (hello, Resident Parking Only).

The changes apply not only to all future valet agreements, but existing agreements must meet the updated valet code requirements (with all the documentation) no later than September 15, 2008.

To pay for the program's management and enforcement, the City has created a new fee based on the number of parking spaces: $450 for up to 50 valet spaces, and $12.50 for each space thereafter.

The City's parking czar, John Paul Curington, sent BD this summary of the Friday morning agenda...

We invited staff from the Building Inspection Department, City Attorney's office as well as Code Enforcement and the Police Department to participate in the workshop.

The essence of the meeting was to make sure that all valet companies and future applications for off-street/remote parking licenses will be required to provide additional documents such as a Parking Agreement, Certificate of Occupancy for commercial parking, and a Building Inspection application. Of course, within these said documents there is a required parking analysis, site plans, etc.

In addition, we explained that all future valet applications will be working with the applicant/owner and not the valet itself.

We also advised everyone that this process will be reviewed by Building Inspection and the City Attorney's office prior to the issuance of a permit where a permit would be required.

I have selected and assigned one of our officers to strictly enforce Valet businesses to ensure compliance. That officer will of course need specific training and guidance, but basically all is underway to proceed forward.

It is our intent to provide a checks and balances program that ensures compliance on both the City side as well as the applicant.

In addition to the referenced documents, the site analysis must be a professionally-prepared (by an architect or surveyor) map of the proposed parking lot, including all landscaping, dumpsters, obstacles and parking spaces. This forces the business to state for the record how many parking spaces are on the property (and properly marked per building code as to the size of the space). No more sardine parking of cars to maximize the income.

Sources involved in this discussion, which has been going on for the better part of the year, also say that every valet parking permit in the City will be subject to a review by City Staff. For example, the City has a database of business on Lower Greenville suspected of claiming the same parking lots and spaces, a practice known as 'double-dipping.'

New business activities are already feeling the heat. A not-ready-to-open restaurant on Lower Greenville, operating in a space previously used as a bar for years, was denied a Certificate of Occupancy until he came up with 18 required off-street parking spaces within the 1,100 foot distance (as the bird flies) ( between the front door and the parking lot. If a business owner is calling BD for help in finding parking spaces, you know things are getting bad.

BD is still waiting for two points to be clarified by City Staff...

If a business has excess parking spaces, can they charge for the use of those spaces (and would the free spaces would have to be marked)?

What about pay-to-park facilities like W(T)F / Blockbuster, which are secondary uses of a Certificate of Occupancy?