MONTE VISTA – Dr. Patty Robertson provided a list of Adams Street parking concerns to the Monte Vista City Council during a meeting on Feb. 6. 

Robertson is opening a health clinic in the former Farm Bureau Insurance building on the southern edge of Monte Vista’s downtown business district. She is renovating the space at 240 Adams St.  

“I am here with you as a business owner to discuss with you the problem with parking on the second block of Adams Street,” she said. “As you all know, some of you may know I have recently purchased the former Farm Bureau Insurance agency building, and I am converting it into a direct primary care clinic. It is not my intent to target any one business owner, unfortunately much of the problem does stem from one specific business owner. I will do my best to focus on the parking issue, and environmental issues I have noticed since moving into the building and starting my renovations.” 

Robertson did not specifically name the buinsess or business owner that she felt was taking advantage of the city’s vague parking code. 

Robertson said that she understands that the parking in 200 block of Adams Street is deemed public parking, but it has not been deemed public storage for vehicles, and it is currently being used that way. 

Robertson said that since starting the renovation of the building that she purchased, she has had issues with vehicles being parked in front of her building for days and weeks on end. She said that morning, Feb. 6, she called the Monte Vista Police Department, because some vehicles had been parked in front of her building anywhere from 3 days to about a week. 

Robertson said that a Dodge pickup was parked at different times, for long periods of time, and reported this twice to Monte Vista PD. 

“It has been previously tagged, and was left there for 3 days, it was removed close to the 72-hour wait time before towing was going to be enforced and then it was returned and parked right in front of my building again. This waiting up until the 72-hour deadline has become a trend, with the custodian of the vehicles,” she said. 

Robertson said she also notified Monte Vista PD about a white Suburban being left in front of her building, stating that these two vehicles have been blocking her contractors from having immediate access to her building. 

Robertson said that when the suburban was finally moved, it was only moved two parking spaces from where it was, and then it was left in that space for several more days. Robertson said that the current parking code is vague and deems street parking as public parking. She said that one business owner is using this code and weaponizing it, by using it to park multiple vehicles in front of other businesses, rather than parking it in front of his own. 

“Thereby impeding the operation of other businesses on the second block of Adams Street,” she said. 

Robertson said that other businesses have had similar issues, including Phinel Garcia, who actually had a trailer with a car on it parked right in front of his garage door with the trailer sitting there for an entire weekend. 

Robertson said that the owner of a building directly north of her, has placed “No Parking” signs in his windows. 

“While this is not enforceable, the owner felt compelled to take some action to try to prevent access to his building from being blocked,” she said. 

Robertson said a restaurant and massage therapist north of her building also deserve to have their customers be able to park near their businesses. She said there are also other businesses that will be opening in the 200 block of Adams Street soon, and she feels that some type of code should be put into place to protect businesses owners and their right to have “their” customers park in front of their buildings. 

“All of our businesses are being impeded by storage of vehicles, for undetermined amounts of time along the block,” she said. 

While no direct decision could be made at the meeting, City Manager GiGi Dennis said that although the business owner in question was given some specific accommodation when he first added his business to the 200 block of Adams Street, that the city was definitely monitoring what was going on there.  

Dennis also said that she knew that the codes that were currently in place, were very broad, and not too specific, but they had also been studying and looking at other businesses as well, and there were also other businesses who were not in compliance, adding that all of these businesses would soon be receiving a letter regarding the out of compliance issues, and what needs to be cleaned up. 

Dennis said that with the addition of a Code Enforcement Officer, that will take place after the notices go out, that the businesses will be given a specific time to become compliant or they will face fines and possibly be taken to court.  

City Planner DJ Enderle also mentioned compliance being made for not only renters of the buildings, but for the property owners as well, stating this would help further enforce correct compliance.  

The council talked about the possibility of an ordinance for two-hour parking being put into place for Adams Street. Enderle said that he would work on an ordinance and hold a work session regarding the ordinance so everyone could talk about it. 

Dennis said that they needed to be fair to all the businesses on Adams Street. 

In other matters, Barbara Sears and Ruthanna Seger were appointed for two more years to the Planning and Zoning Commission.  

Shanna Roberts, Ken Vanlwarden, Justin Pepper, and James Pacheco were all appointed to the Board of Adjustments for a two-year period. 

The next city council meeting will be held on Feb. 20, beginning at 6 p.m.