VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Parking can be scarce these days in the Cavalier Shores neighborhood as ongoing nearby construction is sending workers to the neighborhood to find parking.
"It's great for progress, but terrible for homeowners," a neighbor tells News 3.
Many homes don't have driveways, so residents have to rely on public street parking. Construction of a hotel near The Cavalier is making things much busier than neighbors are used to this time of year.
"I need relief. There's something that's got to happen," one neighbor told city council members earlier this month. "We need help and we need help now because this is serious," another said.
City leaders are trying to find a solution, but it's led to a complicated and at times heated debate. The streets are public, so how do city leaders please homeowners, workers, and beach goers? "It's been very contentious," City Councilman David Nygaard said.
Nygaard has proposed creating a program where any neighborhood in the city dealing with parking issues from construction could request assistance. "I don't think we can legislate for three streets in a neighborhood," he said. "I don't think that's fair." Nygaard also cited concerns about consistency of parking regulations between neighborhoods.
City council members will get more feedback on the issue during Tuesday night's meeting. They're scheduled to vote on a plan on March 5.
Nygaard's plan would create three hour parking zones for non-residents, except on weekends and holidays, but other ideas are being discussed as well.
