Southwest Detroit residents upset by new city parking meters

There is a parking problem for people living on Detroit's southwest side.

Residents have off-street parking at their apartment building - and the city has just installed parking meters. 

When you drive up to park outside your apartment here in southwest Detroit you might notice a new parking kiosk. 

Patty Hadding watched a guy with a jackhammer drill and drive the kiosks into the sidewalk outside her apartment. 

"They came in yesterday morning put this in the ground and didn't say anything," Hadding said. "They said they would come back Monday morning and we would have to pay."

You pay and punch your license plate in the kiosk. But Patty Hadding says anyone living here will not be inclined to run outside while their home and feed the meter.

"Low income people, I don't know how they're going to run this," she said. "They need to take it the hell out of here."

FOX 2 spoke  with the apartment owner who claims he has no say and will get no cut of the parking profit. 

It is a plan by the city that he says he knew nothing about. 

Residents here have no parking lot only street parking here on West Vernor Highway near Central in southwest Detroit. 

"It's residential we don't have any parking lots or anything like that," said resident Cathy O'Neil. "We have to park out here."

Fox 2 asked the city for an explanation regarding the parking kiosks. Here is the reaction we got Thursday evening from Gary Brown, the chief operating officer of Detroit. 

"There is no enforcement action being taken. We are in installation and pilot phase.

"If it doesn't make sense to have a kiosk we will move it or offer residents permits to use spaces in front of their building."

Brown says he'll personally come by the apartment building Friday and discuss the issue with residents.

Anthony D'Alfonso lives here and has a suggestion for the city.

"People are on a fixed income, you know," he said. "Plus they have to pay the rent. I am not saying get rid of them all. They should give a sticker to everyone who lives here, or remove the one in front of the building. Compromise."

"Everybody is moving out of the city of Detroit from what they're doing," Haddy said. "If you make them pay here, you're going to have to go to all those houses and give them a meter."

For now residents don't have to worry about paying, and Brown plans to meet with residents on Friday to discuss the matter further.