Sec. 19-143. Designation and marking or areas where parking is prohibited, limited, restricted or allowed.

(a)   The traffic engineer is hereby authorized to designate streets and alleys or portions thereof where the parking of vehicles shall be prohibited, limited or restricted and to erect signs or markings indicating such prohibition, limitation or restriction. It shall be unlawful for any person to park a vehicle in violation of any such sign or marking, and each hour that any such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.

(b)   The traffic engineer is hereby authorized to designate streets and alleys or portions thereof where the parking of vehicles shall be allowed and to erect signs or paint lines or otherwise designate where parking is allowed and restrictions thereon.

(c)   It shall be unlawful for any person to park a vehicle along or on a street or alley in the Central Business District zoning district, or its successor zoning district, as designated in the city's zoning ordinance and on the city's zoning maps, unless a sign, line or other marking designates that parking is allowed on streets or alleys in that district.

(d)   Violation of this section shall be an infraction and shall be punishable as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4.

(Code 1965, § 28-101; Ord. No. 2280, § 1, 5-14-96; Ord. No. 4910, § 2, 11-9-21)

Sec. 19-144. Method of parking.

(a)   Except when necessary in obedience to traffic regulation or traffic signal or the direction of a traffic officer, it shall be unlawful for the driver of a vehicle to park such vehicle in a highway, street or roadway other than parallel with the edge of the roadway, street or highway, headed in the direction of traffic, and with the curbside wheels of the vehicle within 12 inches of the edge of the road or curb, except that:

(1)   Upon such streets, highways or roadways as may have been marked or signed for angle parking including reverse angle parking; vehicles shall be parked at the angle of the curb indicated by such marks or signs.

(2)   In places where and at hours when stopping for loading or unloading of merchandise or material is permitted, vehicles used for the transportation of merchandise or material may back to the curb for the purpose of discharging or taking on loads to remain for a period of not more than 30 minutes, except as provided in section 19-145.

(b)   Violation of this section shall be an infraction and shall be punishable as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4.

(Code 1965, § 28-102; Ord. No. 4384, § 1, 2-24-15; Ord. No. 4910, § 2, 11-9-21)

Sec. 19-145. Special parking permit for unloading freight.

The traffic engineer is hereby authorized to issue, in special cases where he deems it necessary, a permit for any vehicle used to transport merchandise or material to park the vehicle back to the curb for a longer period than provided for in section 19-144. However, such permit shall definitely specify the time to be permitted and the driver of such vehicle shall have the permit in his possession at the time and place of unloading.

(Code 1965, § 28-103)

State law reference(s)—Similar provisions, G.S. 20-157(b).

Sec. 19-146. Parking near scene of fire.

(a)   It shall be unlawful for any person, other than one on official business, to park any vehicle within a block where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.

(b)   Violation of this section shall be an infraction and shall be punishable as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4.

(Code 1965, § 28-104; Ord. No. 4910, § 2, 11-9-21)

Sec. 19-147. Lights on parked vehicles.

(a)   Whenever a vehicle is lawfully parked on a street during the time between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise and there is sufficient light to reveal any person within a distance of 200 feet upon such street, no lights need be displayed upon such parked vehicle. When, during such times or at any other time, there is not sufficient light upon a street to reveal a person at a distance of 200 feet, a parked vehicle shall be equipped with and shall exhibit lights in accord with G.S. 20-134.

(b)   Violation of this section shall be an infraction and shall be punishable as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4.

(Code 1965, § 28-106; Ord. No. 4910, § 2, 11-9-21)

State law reference(s)—Authority of city to enact ordinance similar to this section, G.S. 20-134.

Sec. 19-148. Impoundment of vehicles.

(a)   Whenever a police officer finds a motor vehicle or other vehicle that falls into one or more of the following categories, the officer shall have the vehicle removed by a properly licensed wrecker to the storage lot or garage operated by such wrecker:

(1)   Vehicle abandoned, junked or wrecked on the public streets of the city or on city property.

(2)   Vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident.

(3)   Vehicle subject of a theft.

(4)   Vehicle used in the commission of a felony.

(5)   Driver of vehicle operates vehicle without a driver's license or was under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotics.

(6)   Vehicle parked in violation of a state statute or a city ordinance, except the city ordinance against overtime parking.

(b)   When any vehicle is so removed and impounded, it shall be the duty of the officer to affix to it a storage card. It shall be the duty of the police department to notify the owner of the vehicle or, if the owner is incapable of understanding the notice, to notify a responsible representative of the owner. If the owner of the vehicle cannot be determined, it shall be the duty of the police department to advertise the impounding of the vehicle. The owner may redeem and recover the vehicle by exhibiting proof of ownership to the police department and by paying all expenses incident to the impounding of the vehicle. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abridge the power and authority of the police department to remove any obstruction from the streets or other public places of the city or to excuse or exempt any person having the custody or control of any vehicle from any fine or penalty provided for the violation of any traffic law or ordinance.

(c)   The city manager or his or her designee shall have the authority to have a vehicle removed by a properly licensed wrecker to the storage lot or garage operated by such wrecker pursuant to this section:

(1)   If a vehicle has been abandoned as set forth in section 10-28 on city property and the notice requirements of section 10-32 or the emergency provisions of section 10-33 have been completed; or

(2)   If a vehicle has parked in violation of article V of chapter 19 of the City Code except for overtime parking as set forth in section 19-165 of the City Code.

(d)   For every vehicle removed by the city manager or his or her designee, he or she shall comply with the post- towing notice requirements as set forth in section 10-34 of the City Code.

(Code 1965, § 28-107; Ord. No. 3229, § 1, 5-10-05)

Sec. 19-149. Enforcement of parking violations.

All such persons as may be designated by the city manager to enforce the various provisions of Article V of Chapter 19 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Asheville, shall attach to any vehicle violating the provisions thereof, a notice to the owner or operator thereof that such a vehicle has been parked in violation of the provisions of the ordinances of the city, and that such violation subjects the offender to a civil penalty in the amount stated in the notice.

(Ord. No. 2035, § 1, 6-29-93)

Sec. 19-150. Parking enforcement for the housing authority of the City of Asheville.

   The City of Asheville shall have discretion, but not an obligation, to enforce the provisions of Chapter 19, Article V, Division 1 of the City of Asheville Code of Ordinances in all of the public vehicular areas located on land owned by the housing authority of the City of Asheville.

(Ord. No. 5052, § (a), 12-12-23)

Secs. 19-151—19-160. Reserved.