Frustrated students are raising concerns about Emory Village parking, with many alleging that a private contractor is improperly booting cars in the area.

Meanwhile, Village storeowners and community members are searching for new solutions to a chronic shortage of marked parking spaces in the Village that has led to the utilization of the private contractor.

A newly-formed parking committee had a meeting Oct. 31 and will work with DeKalb County and Emory to move forward and search for resolutions, said Todd Hill, chairman of the Alliance to Improve Emory Village (AIEV).

Storeowners have signs posted in the private lots on either side of North Decatur Road indicating that a private contractor, Alpha Booting Company, handles parking enforcement, according to property owner Stuart Meddin.

One sign in the Village reads, “Parking for current patrons only.” The sign goes on to clarify that current patron status applies “during the time they are actually conducting business, eating or drinking inside.”

However, Kristen Carrillo (’10C, ’12MPH), a research associate at the University of Texas and an Emory alum, said the booting company placed a boot on her vehicle even when she was a current patron.

“I met a friend at Falafel King one Wednesday morning before class, and the lunch was very long,” Carrillo wrote in an email to the Wheel. “I came outside and found my car booted.”

Frederick Johnson, the man who booted Carrillo’s car, asked her to pay $75 to remove the boot.

Johnson – when asked about the parking situation as well as his booting practices – declined to comment. Additionally, calls to the number listed for Alpha Booting Company went to A1 Mobile Auto Body Repair in south Atlanta.

CBS Atlanta and The Virginia Highland-Druid Hills Patch have reported booting issues in Emory Village as far back as 2011.

In the reports, students including Carrillo said they have been unfairly booted for parking in the Village and leaving. However, Carrillo insists she never left Falafel King.

On Nov. 5, several booted cars sat in the CVS parking lot, and one car owner were found paying Johnson to remove a boot.

The man, who declined to give his name, admitted he was “guilty of parking and visiting campus for a few hours” but had been to the Village earlier.

Workers in Emory Village have differing views on the parking situation, but many said they agree that the parking situation in the area can be improved.

Tin Drum cashier Vincent Norfleet said the lot behind Tin Drum “is always full,” so one week he parked across the street in the CVS lot.

“[Johnson] came by and threatened me with a boot if I didn’t move my car,” he said.

Dave’s Cosmic Subs worker Drew Wagner said Johnson was the same man responsible for booting cars for the Village for several years, and he has seen countless cars with a boot.

“As soon as you leave the Village or step across the street to head to Starbucks, he’ll boot you,” Wagner said.

Hill said there has been a chronic problem with Emory students parking in the Village and then walking to Emory’s campus, “lowering parking turnover and causing issues for the Village.”

AIEV is a non-profit, volunteer community organization committed to “achieving the best possible balance between historic preservation and commercial success, as well as between public safety, traffic enhancements and creating a pedestrian-friendly Village,” according to its website.

According to DeKalb County records, the parking overlay in Emory Village includes public spaces on North Decatur Rd. and Oxford Rd., as well as private lots on either side of North Decatur Rd. behind Village businesses.

Public parking spaces and their enforcement fall under DeKalb County jurisdiction, according to Hill.

The other part of the parking complication is the relatively few parking spots available for Village patrons, Hill said.

Hill said that currently, a large section of North Oxford Rd. has no lines drawn for parking spaces, leaving “confusion and a lack of efficiency” for parking.

The overlay for the Village allows for potential construction of additional parking facilities, but according to Hill, this would have to be done through a private development.

AIEV is currently working on a plan to address this specific issue, as well as general parking concerns, he said.

Hill said the alliance has brought in the property owners to both its August and September meetings and acts as an arbiter of cooperation instead of having any regulatory or enforcement powers.

College sophomore James Bosanko said he feels parking in the Village is a problem and is against the booting.

“I know they should have a better system for it,” Bosanko said. “Someone can easily spend an hour or two eating or shopping at the Village, and they shouldn’t have to worry about getting booted. They should have time limit parking meters or something to hold people accountable in a way that can be proven.”

There are several alternatives that students can take to avoid searching for a space or risking a boot such as MARTA, Emory Cliff Shuttles and walking, according to the AIEV’s website.

Members of AIEV have also used donations and fundraising to make pedestrian access and the MARTA stops more comfortable, including bike racks and benches throughout the Village.

Ultimately, Hill and the AIEV have one simple goal.

“We want the Village to be a place for desirable walkability, and the parking to have quick turnover,” Hill said. “More business comes from more parking, which in turn drives the growth of the entire Village.”

– By Stephen Fowler

Stephen Fowler
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Stephen Fowler 16C is the political reporter at Georgia Public Broadcasting, the statewide NPR affiliate in Georgia. He graduated from Emory with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and covered the central administration and Greek Life for the Wheel before serving as assistant news editor, Emory Life editor and the Executive Digital Editor from 2015-16.