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Carytown employees furious with new parking changes

Posted at 11:26 PM, Feb 28, 2014
and last updated 2014-03-02 09:35:59-05

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - For many people, parking spots throughout Richmond's Carytown can be scarce.

But, employees like Emily Gettings and other employees said they've been able to use the free public parking decks to secure a spot during their long shifts.

"It's essential really to have that deck there," said Gettings.

"I've been parking in that deck everyday for the last 15 years," said Dr. William Blair, who owns Animal Eye Care in Richmond.

However, employees aren't allowed to use the deck for extended periods of time now during the week.

Raul Cantu, President of Carytown Merchants Association said the group recently voted to add a three hour parking limit to the public parking decks Monday throgh Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"We wanted to provide more customers rotation in Carytown and there's been studies done in the past that parking limits creates that," said Cantu.

Dr. Blair said this new plan is going to leave employees with no place to park during their work hours.

"Employees can't come out and move their cars every three hours or have somebody that comes out and moves the cars every three hours. That just seems ridiculous to me," he said.

However, Cantu told CBS 6's Chelsea Rarrick that there are plenty of places to park.

"I never have had a hard time parking. There's plenty of parking in the alley ways," he said.

But Emily Gettings said that plan is just not realistic.

"We are bring in a lot of the business being the merchants in Carytown. Just thinking that we won't have dedicated parking is a little anxiety inducing," she said.