ACME - Ticketing and/or Towing

**Longshanks** · 09-24-2012, 07:37 PM

Just a heads up that ACME has decided to ticket and/or tow cars parked in their lot between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. They apparently will allow people to park in the lot only after 10 p.m. and only in the spots that ring the outside of the lot.

Personally, I think they should worry more about the condition and cleanliness of their store and property than who's parked in their lot.

**2happy4u** · 09-24-2012, 11:21 PM

most cars are here because people don't want to pay to park in CC where they work, why don't people just park at the stadiums for a buck. How cheap can you be. One day last week the only spots were the HC.The whole lot was full.

**TonyDanza** · 09-25-2012, 08:39 AM

Good. Too many entitled freeloaders in this town anyway - they should tow after 10 too.

**luchobucho** · 09-25-2012, 11:45 AM

While I fully support their decision to tow, I think it points out that 99% of the time, that lot is way under capacity.

It demonstrates a really poor land use decision by having a gigantic parking lot like that.

They shoul consider selling spaces for overnight use. That is typically when the parking is scarce in the neighborhood.

Scarce parking during the night time is indicative of car storage issues. During the day it's pretty easy to get a spot in the neighborhood which indicates capacity for commerce. An interesting distinction.

**Eames** · 09-25-2012, 01:21 PM

I don't see how they can ticket while they are open. How will they know who are shoppers and who are free loaders? I could see ticketing overnight when no one has any business there at all (not that I suggest they do that). Frankly it's quite generous of them to even allow local residents to park over night in the perimeter spaces. Try that at a Rite Aid lot and see what happens. While I do shop at Acme, and park there when I shop, I also park there when I can't find a space to park in when I go to an EPX restaurant. The small pay lot by 10th and Morris is usually full at peak dining times.

**luchobucho** · 09-25-2012, 01:27 PM

I'm always amazed at the people who drive to the acme from around the corner.

My neighbor laughed at me the other day for carrying two small bags of groceries.

Can they actually ticket a car in the lot? Under what authority would they enforce a ticket? I know they can tow off the lot, but who would write a ticket on private property?

**ShoshTrvls** · 09-25-2012, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by luchobucho

While I fully support their decision to tow, I think it points out that 99% of the time, that lot is way under capacity.

It demonstrates a really poor land use decision by having a gigantic parking lot like that.

They shoul consider selling spaces for overnight use. That is typically when the parking is scarce in the neighborhood.

Scarce parking during the night time is indicative of car storage issues. During the day it's pretty easy to get a spot in the neighborhood which indicates capacity for commerce. An interesting distinction.

I don't know about that lot in particular, but zoning codes always have per square foot parking requirements. Often, that's the only reason you are seeing huge fields of parking around strip malls and stores. Trust me, most developers would far prefer to have something profitable taking up space rather than emptry parking spaces taking up space.

**tsarstruck** · 09-25-2012, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by luchobucho

Can they actually ticket a car in the lot? Under what authority would they enforce a ticket? I know they can tow off the lot, but who would write a ticket on private property?

It's one in the same. Under current city law (which, I believe, is going to be changed soon, see below), tickets must be issued before a company can tow your car. They'd enforce it the way any other parking lot does: if the cars are there for too long to be shopping, they'll call the PPA and then tow company.

Anyway, the recently enacted towing system is predictably broken: it takes too long to ticket the cars. The new proposed bill would force tow trucks to take digital pictures of the car in the illegal spot along with the license plate, showing the car's owner and keeping them on file for 60 days. Philadelphia city council to take on ATVs, rogue tow trucks | 6abc.com

And yes: stupid use of land. However, the projected availability of an open parking lot is key to most supermarket model's business model (see: Whole Foods, Art Museum division), so it'll be a long time before that lot gets used for something worthwhile.

**RT47** · 09-25-2012, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by luchobucho

I'm always amazed at the people who drive to the acme from around the corner.

I amazed that you like going to the Acme every other day for your two small bags of groceries.

Here is a plan that's been floating around since 2010, that never really got any traction. I know its hard to read, but the basics are that for the intersection of 3 roads in a rapidly improving part of the city to be dominated by parking lots is not a good use of land.

Passyunk Square Village Center

**tsarstruck** · 09-25-2012, 05:21 PM

Some good thoughts on that plan. Maybe some sort of variance for a sign on top of a new building would sweeten the deal for Acme? As it stands, I'm pretty sure that Acme would balk at this plan, since approach-ability is essential to a shopping center. Anybody know who actually owns the lot?

**BarryG** · 09-25-2012, 05:57 PM

The lot should be turned into a garage with ground floor retail. Parking for Acme and the business on the Avenue, plus better land use.

**Giavella Water** · 09-25-2012, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by Longshanks

Just a heads up that ACME has decided to ticket and/or tow cars parked in their lot between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. They apparently will allow people to park in the lot only after 10 p.m. and only in the spots that ring the outside of the lot.

Personally, I think they should worry more about the condition and cleanliness of their store and property than who's parked in their lot.

How will they know who is a customer and who isn't ? Do they plan to use a 'spotter'?

**ghouseiv** · 09-25-2012, 07:29 PM

I was there earlier. I parked towards Passyunk in the back, and an employee asked me if I had a pink slip or something. I said no. He said I can't park here overnight and they would start towing. I said I'm coming back in 20 minutes. He said it didn't matter. I walked away.

Thanks for being neighborly Acme!

**TonyDanza** · 09-25-2012, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by ghouseiv

I was there earlier. I parked towards Passyunk in the back, and an employee asked me if I had a pink slip or something. I said no. He said I can't park here overnight and they would start towing. I said I'm coming back in 20 minutes. He said it didn't matter. I walked away.

Thanks for being neighborly Acme!

They've been plenty neighborly up to now by letting the neighbors abuse their lot. Find street parking like everyone else.

**luchobucho** · 09-26-2012, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by BarryG

The lot should be turned into a garage with ground floor retail. Parking for Acme and the business on the Avenue, plus better land use.

I've been saying this for years. I even did a mockup layout on the site.

**O.H. Lee** · 09-26-2012, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by TonyDanza

They've been plenty neighborly up to now by letting the neighbors abuse their lot. Find street parking like everyone else.

Ditto!

For years and years Acme let neighbors park in their lot and it was never an issue because there were plenty of spaces left for customers.

For whatever reason, housing boom, more people owning cars, laziness, etc. every spot is now taken on a regular basis and there are no spots for their customers.

They tried a friendly approach but that didn't work.

I hate the tow companies that "steal" people's cars from huge business parking lots, but in this case they will be justified. The honeymoon is over. Move your cars or be ready to trek over to Blum or Smith and fork over $200 plus a parking ticket.