Traffic Officials Can’t Bag Parking Culprits Some Businesses Abuse Privileges Of City-Issued Bags

The downtown Spokane shopper cruising along West Main spies an empty parking spot and sighs with relief.

The hunt is over.

Seconds later, that sigh turns into a groan when the shopper realizes there’s a canvas bag covering the meter.

The shopper begins the desperate search again. As for the spot “saved” by the meter bag, it may stay empty for hours, despite laws that say the city-issued bags can’t be used to create permanent parking spaces.

“There’s quite a bit of abuse going on,” said Dave Shaw, traffic control supervisor.

“It’s tough for us to keep track of that,” said Transportation Director Bruce Steele, explaining that catching parking bag abusers is nearly impossible unless his department receives a complaint.

One consistent abuser infuriated business owner Henry Mayer, who had attorney Steve Eugster write a letter to Steele.

“To me it is passing strange that the city of Spokane would spend so much time and energy to supposedly create retail activity in the downtown business core and at the same time allow parking meter bags to be misused,” Eugster said in the July 26 letter.

“These cars and trucks are destroying retail business in this area.”

The bags are supposed to create temporary loading zones for construction, maintenance or utility companies that need to unload equipment or building supplies, Steele said.

Each bag costs $120 a year, and there are about 800 in use, said Valerie Robbins of the transportation department. Before buying a bag, companies must show a current city business license and prove they need to drop off supplies.

They also are given a copy of the rules, which state that “meter bags do not provide continuous parking privileges.”

Downtown businesses that have frequent deliveries can lobby the city for a posted commercial loading zone. Delivery companies can buy a $45-a-year sticker that allows them to park in the zone temporarily.

There’s a 30-minute time limit for permits or bags, Steele said. Bag users can call the transportation department and ask to extend the time for up to 12 hours, but there has to be a good reason, Steele said. “Under no circumstances are meter bags to be left on meters overnight,” the rules say.

Mayer, owner of Metropolitan Interiors, said for more than a year he wrote and called the transportation department about parking bag abuse outside his interior design shop.

A construction company renovating the apartments above Mayer’s business at 314 W. Sprague monopolized a 15-meter parking spot 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said.

To make matters worse, the construction company’s truck was so long it stretched into the loading zone Mayer had successfully lobbied the city for last year.

“It’s been a real hassle,” Mayer said, adding that his customers have to park blocks away to pick up the heavy concrete urns and fountains he sells.

Steele admitted he failed to follow up on Mayer’s complaint, but since Eugster’s letter he has contacted the construction company and laid down the law.

“I’m controlling that right now,” Steele said.

Attempts to reach the construction company were unsuccessful.

Eugster said Thursday he was amazed the parking meter officers didn’t notice the abuse outside Mayer’s business.

“The city … is so quick to write tickets to someone who is two to three minutes over on a meter, but for a year they ignored these vehicles on the street,’ Eugster said.

Supervisor Shaw said it’s not easy for parking meter officers to monitor bag usage.

“They can’t just walk up and write a ticket,” he said, adding that an officer must mark a tire with chalk and then return later to see if the car still is there. The officer would also have to check with the transportation department to see if the business requested a time extension.

Steele urged people to report suspected abuse to his department.

“If they’re just using it as a parking space, we want to know about it,” he said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: REPORT ABUSES To report suspected abuse of a parking meter bag or commercial loading zone, call 625-6480.