Downtown Parking To Get Tougher With Opening Of Middle School

City Council members approved a request from a new downtown middle school to restrict parking around its campus.

A stretch of Person Street, across from City Market, is one of the few places drivers can park and not worry about parking meters or tickets. Some cars stay all day, but that is about to change.

When the Moore Square Museum Magnet Middle School opens at the end of July, motorists lucky enough to find a spot nearby will have to watch the clock.

"It's so that parents and visitors could come into the front entranceof the school easily and conveniently," principal Kathy Bradley said.

Bradley asked the city to establish new parking restrictions surrounding the school, including no parking zones, passenger loading zones and bus zones.

The restrictions are all one block away from a business zone.

For cafe owner Tony Marino, more parking hassles for customers could be a problem.

"I mean the less parking you have, the less likely people are to stop by," he said.

The obne-hour parkign limit could force some of the all-day parkers out, and make more space available to others.