There’s an ongoing parking dispute around Grimes Glen State Park in Naples, but no one involved believes they are doing anything wrong.
The Chronicle-Express reports that residents have been coming out of the park to find that their vehicles were towed away. In some cases, it’s cost residents as much as $400, or more, to reclaim their vehicles.
A neighbor noted that just last week a couple was seen wandering down the street near the park – with their children. The vehicle had been towed, but they didn’t know it.
“People are coming out of the glen to find their car gone, not knowing if it has been stolen or towed,” Naples resident Larry Letteney told the Chronicle-Express.
“None of this towing has anything to do with village ordinance,” the Naples Village Mayor and Village Offices said. They recently put up no parking signs along Vine Street to combat local residents who complained about Grimes Glen parkers.
At Grimes Glen, 2 60-foot falls are accessible by wandering upstream from the parking area. Sightseers should expect to get their feet wet, as the gorge narrows to a point where there is no bank. Except after heavy rain, the creekbed is easily navigable. https://t.co/P7CbU7CiUq pic.twitter.com/rRdK5HbqJA
— Go Finger Lakes (@gofingerlakes) September 3, 2019
There’s a dead end, which looks like an extension or offshoot of Vine Street. There was a bridge in that location many years ago, which was removed. When that bridge was removed – it set into action a right-of-way scenario.
The property became private property; and now, it’s the location where vehicles are being towed from.
The property owner hasn’t responded to local media requests, but Eric Lang, president of Bald Hill Automotive, says his company was called on to remove vehicles parked in that area. The Express reports that the owner had tried several things to prevent people from parking in that location, near an abandoned home.
Lang says it’s all legal because the property is private, which is also the same reason why local authorities say they cannot write parking tickets.
Naples Town Supervisor Tamara Hicks says residents who have had their vehicles towed are victims, and that it should be reported. She has voiced this concern and issue to other stakeholders involved in the decision making process.
The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office says they are initiating an investigation. Anyone who feels they’ve been victimized can call 585-396-4638 to be heard and reported.
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