The surface parking lot in between Northwest Northrup and Overton streets at 10th and 11th Avenue has been ordered to pay $5,500 in fines and $1,475 in city investigative services. The developer – Hoyt Street Properties – constructed the surface parking lot illegally. Last year the parking lot was paved and striped, but lacked some serious requirements like sidewalks, landscape buffers, and proper drainage. According to the Portland Tribune, Hoyt Street Properties gains $10,000 in revenue each month or $100/month for each spot. In 2008, the city notified Hoyt Street it was violating city code. A followup was not made.
City Hearing Officer Gregory Frank has agreed to not enforce anymore fines with some conditions. To comply with Frank, the developer must remove all parking spaces and fence off the lot within 45 days. If these conditions are not met, the developer may face up to $30,000 in fines each month.
Digging deeper, the near by Station Place Smart Park has always been quite empty. Had the Hoyt surface parking lot been closed, those 100 customers per month would’ve resulted in parking at Station Place. Based upon the four years this surface parking lot was open, the city lost an estimated $625,000 in possible revenue.
[via Portland Tribune]