Two parking spaces removed two years after request

In a town where parking is already sparse, two unlimited-time parking spaces have been removed from South Street to “improve traffic operations and safety,” according to the city—two years after residents complained about the sight lines there. Residents from the Midway Manor neighborhood approached the city May 20 with concerns about the parking spots, says […]

Parking garage ‘soap opera’ leads city to reject Brown’s offer

Mayor Mike Signer and City Councilor Kathy Galvin insist there is nothing personal in the city’s dispute with Mark Brown over control of the Water Street Parking Garage. In meetings with reporters July 6 after the city rejected Charlottesville Parking Center’s June 24 proposed settlement of the escalating controversy over the fate of the garage the city co-owns with Brown, […]

No emergency: Judge rejects parking center petition for special receiver

A judge heard Charlottesville Parking Center’s emergency petition to appoint a receiver to run the Water Street Garage June 27, three days before the parking center’s contract with the city expired, and he concluded such a move wasn’t justified. “This is an emergency of your own making,” said Judge Rick Moore in Charlottesville Circuit Court. “I […]

DBAC urges city and parking center to knock off bully tactics

The Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville sent a letter to city councilors and Charlottesville Parking Center owner Mark Brown today requesting the city and the CPC “reach a quick agreement on the parking stalemate” over the Water Street Garage and withdraw “extreme threats” such as eminent domain and closing the garage. Mary Beth Schellhammer wrote on […]

City lawyer: Condemnation of Water Street Garage has begun

How many lawyers does it take to schedule a hearing? Well, if it has anything to do with the highly contentious battle between the city and Mark Brown’s Charlottesville Parking Center, that would be five attorneys in Charlottesville Circuit Court today to set a date for CPC’s petition for the appointment of an emergency receiver. During the hearing, the […]

Surprise resolution: City makes move to buy Water Street Garage

City Council unanimously passed a resolution June 6 authorizing City Manager Maurice Jones to make an offer to buy the parking spaces owned by Charlottesville Parking Center in the Water Street Garage. Both the city and CPC owner Mark Brown have said they are in talks to resolve issues that led to the entities suing […]

Parking petition: Violet Crown hires PR firm

The Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville said in April it wasn’t taking sides in the parking wars fueled by litigation between the city and Mark Brown, owner of the Charlottesville Parking Center. That course changed when Violet Crown hired public relations firm Payne Ross, also a DBAC member, which circulated a petition calling for the […]

Parking wars: City fires back in Water Street Garage death match

Despite concerns that the Water Street Garage could close should the company that manages it and Charlottesville not resolve their escalating legal battle, the city filed a counterclaim April 29 against Charlottesville Parking Center one day after owner Mark Brown sent a letter urging the city to sell the complicatedly owned garage to him. And […]

Parking Garage Primer

Who owns what at Water Street Garage? Water Street Parking Garage Condo Association owns the structure Charlottesville Parking Center Has four seats on the condo association board Owns 390 spaces Owner: Mark Brown Runs the garage operations The city Has four seats on the condo association board Owns 629 spaces Charlottesville Parking Center owns the […]

Bad parking, not entitlement, says supe

The photo of Supervisor Rick Randolph’s BMW convertible hogging two spaces popped up on two local media sites today. “Is this Car-gate?” asks Randolph about the photograph submitted to Scottsville Weekly and the Schilling Show. Randolph, who represents the Scottsville District on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, says he was late to a meeting at the Mudhouse at Mill […]