By Joni Renick
Land use and parking topped the Tuesday, Dec. 4 Provo City Coucil agenda.
During a resolution allowing towing companies the freedom not to pave their impound yards, council member Stan Lockhart asked towing companies to be more customer friendly.
More complaints are received by students about unfair towing practices than any other group, he said.
Lockhart said students are probably the least able to bear the cost of having a vehicle towed.
He cited an incident where one student had just moved into her apartment and her car was towed before she had the chance to receive a parking sticker from her management.
Lockhart asked towing companies to be more customer friendly in the future.
Later in the meeting, parking standards for both low and high density areas were discussed.
Much of the discussion pointed towards issues that will be talked about during the next council meeting Dec. 18 when the South Joaquin proposal and the South Campus Area Master Plan are discussed.
Community development asked the council to approve a resolution limiting the amount of yard space that could be used for parking.
Richard Secrist, director of community development, said this is especially a problem in areas occupied by students.
He said homes already complying with the zoning in the area would not have a problem with the new requirement.
With 50 percent of the yard area paved, most homes would have enough parking for all of the people residing in the house, Secrist said.
Janeal Thornock, BYUSA''s Legislative Assistant, asked the council if the old homes in the area would be forced to change because of the new ordinance.
She said this would put students in a lose-lose situation.
However, Secrist said all old homes would not have to comply with the new ordinance, but any new construction would be forced to comply.
Members of the City Council said none of these ordinances passed Tuesday would negatively affect students if students were living in legal housing in the first place.
However, Thornock said many students don''t know when they are moving into a home where it is illegal for them to live.
Council member Paul Warner said the problem with zoning comes when landlords get more desirous for money and put another student in a home where they shouldn''t be.
The council also passed a Zoning Disclosure Act last year that should protect students.
This act says students have the right to know what zone they are moving into before they sign a contract. That way students cannot be kept in the dark about the legality of their residence.
Council members agreed more enforcement of zoning is needed in the city.