City Mulls 4-Hour Parking Limit

In an attempt to find a balance between the parking needs of theater-goers and employees of downtown businesses, the Burbank City Council Tuesday night was scheduled to consider a four-hour parking lot across the street from a Palm Avenue cinema complex.

The current two-hour parking limits became an issue in September when the council considered hiking the fines for overtime parking along with other violations. Councilwoman Susan Spanos objected to raising the fines because theater-goers and other downtown visitors already had to race against the clock.

The measure under consideration Tuesday would extend the limit on the 96-space parking lot across from the AMC Burbank 14 Theaters on Palm Avenue from two hours to four.

“It’s going to be an interesting trial to see if four-hour parking will work,” Asst. City Manager Steve Helvey said.

The challenge, said downtown merchants and others, would be to provide enough parking downtown for employees of local businesses as well as shoppers and theater patrons.

One concern is that with a four-hour parking limit, it would be too easy for employees to park all day, for free, by merely moving their cars on their lunch break and take up space that could be used by theater-goers.

Helvey said that the four-hour limit may be extended to other downtown lots after the Palm Avenue lot has been evaluated.