Two-hour parking spots located in front of First Baptist Church on Fourth Avenue will soon be patrolled and the time enforced starting Monday, according to Rome Police Chief Elaine Snow. (Brittany Hannah / Rome News-Tribune)
A two-hour parking limit already exists on the avenue between East First and East Second streets, but enforcement has been lenient.
Becky Smyth, manager of the downtown parking office, said she has received complaints from people trying to drop off children at First Baptist Church or folks working in the soup kitchen at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
Rome Police Chief Elaine Snow said enforcement of parking regulations in the area has been sporadic.
Smyth said a lot of downtown Rome business or government employees apparently have been parking there and just not moving.
“We’re going to try to turn the spaces over a little bit,” she said. Even preschool workers at First Baptist have been told not to park in those spaces during the day.
People with questions can contact the Parking Services office at 706-236-4458 or email parking@romega.us.
Looks like they didn't like the comments so they re-posted the story.
Rome's parking ordinance does not promote downtown business. I'm sure they don't want the cat out of the bag that parking anywhere within the parking ticket area for a total of 2 hours or more during any given day will result in a parking ticket. Moving your car will not work anymore with the electronic car tag readers that flag a car that's been in the area for at least 2 hours or more no matter how many different parking spaces it's been moved to.
The city is making money on the backs of the downtown business owners. The word is spreading is why business can't thrive downtown. It's not a parking friendly town.