Street Parking A Nightmare For Some Queens Residents
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Several auto shops in Queens are causing parking problems for residents.
People say they cant find spots near their own homes because of the many cars the shops have lined up waiting for repair, CBS2's Reena Roy reported Thursday.
They are banged up and marked up and they have people fed up.
"Something should be done. It's unfair," one resident said.
"It's not good. We need spots," another said.
Residents near Liberty Avenue between 86th and 91st streets say vehicles in repair from nearby auto shops take up far too much street parking.
"There's never no parking out here. We have to double park for 30-45 minutes before we can find a parking spot," Ozone Park resident Edwin Laing said.
"Very frustrating. I want to move. I want to sell my house," added resident Annette Nieves.
There are almost a dozen shops and CBS2 has learned several of them opened in the last year, causing more congestion than ever before.
"Cars have been there for months," Laing said. "We pay property taxes. We want to come home at a decent hour and park and go home and go to bed."
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Some store owners do have private lots, but they quickly fill up, which means cars end up on the street for what seems to be a long time.
Jimmy Kolm, who has owned Liberty Bell Car Care for two decades, told CBS2's Roy vehicles often sit for a while as they wait for parts or their owners.
Kolm said he understands residents' concerns, but added, "There's no room for them." However, he also said he is hoping to open up another lot soon to provide some relief.
"We want to do the right thing for the community," he said.
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Meanwhile, the city said that in the last two there have been 16 complaints to 311 for blocked driveways in the area, eight for derelict vehicles and four for illegal parking.
While it's not confirmed that those are directly related to the auto shops, the NYPD said it has ticketed cars in violation there, and neighborhood coordination officers have met with owners to remind them of proper car storage.
Some residents told CBS2 the shop owners are respectful and do sometimes move the cars when asked.
