Atlanta may press pause on temporary parking lot permits in Castleberry Hill

Residents concerned by problematic tailgaters and tourists that park in area’s temporary lots

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  • A map of where the moratorium on temporary parking lot permits could take place



Castleberry Hill’s temporary parking lots - which every year offer parking to thousands of people who attend major events Downtown - may soon be put on hold as the city takes another look at its permit process.

Atlanta City Councilmembers Michael Julian Bond, Kwanza Hall, and Cleta Winslow are introducing a new ordinance that would put a moratorium on those lots into place, stopping the city from issuing permits for up to 180 days in the neighborhood.

Bond tells CL that the current process isn’t properly regulated or enforced on numerous parcels that lack lighting or pavement. Without a uniform policy, residents have encountered a “litany of problems” given the lack of accountability for tailgaters who he says have urinated and defecated in some of the lots - not to mention the operators ultimately responsible for their customers’ actions. In other words, it’s similar to what Summerhill residents face when Braves fans park in the temporary lots surrounding Turner Field.

Councilman Ivory Young, who represents portions of Castleberry Hill, Downtown, and Vine City, said during yesterday’s City Council meeting that he was “supportive of revising” the permit process, but questioned whether the timing was “prudent” with the Atlanta Falcons season quickly approaching. While most people notice the issue during the NFL season, Bond says, those problems continue throughout the year when major concerts and monster truck rallies bring thousands of motorists to the area.

The new proposal arose after a meeting took place last week between community members, several City Council staff members, and Department of Public Works officials. If passed, the measure could lead to an overhaul of the lax and inconsistent regulations for those lots, which are in the area between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the north, McDaniel Street to the south, Northside Drive to the west, and Spring and Whitehall streets to the east.

The ordinance will make its way through the committee process in the coming weeks.