Pensacola council holds workshop on proposed parking ordinance changes, including 72-hour storage limit

Pensacola City Council held a workshop Oct. 20 to discuss proposed amendments to city code section 11-2-24 that would change how long vehicles may remain parked on city rights-of-way and clarify enforcement and towing procedures.

Council Vice President Patton opened the discussion, saying, “So the workshop today is to discuss a proposed, or some changes I should say, to our ordinance relating to parking in areas of the city.” The draft discussed by council and staff would set a 72-hour limit citywide on vehicles stored in the public right-of-way and a 24-hour limit in a defined downtown area intended to preserve turnover where on-street parking is most in demand.

The change responds to repeated neighborhood complaints about long-term parked or apparently abandoned vehicles and to downtown parking turnover concerns. Council members asked for clarity on how the rules would work in practice, how resident permit-decals are issued, and who would carry out enforcement.

“Where do they get those decals?” Councilman Baer asked, seeking how residents obtain the limited resident-parking decals that currently exist. A staff member explained the decals are…