We’ve VERY sorry to hear that this has happened. I know what a bummer that is. Nobody likes being towed. It’s expensive and inconvenient. No fun And thanks for bringing this to our attention.

A few points you need to consider:

1) The Neighborhood Association is VERY active on parking issues. We all donate extreme amounts of time (unpaid) to address these types of issues. This often includes bringing in the City, including the Police Chief, to meetings as well as zoning and permits. But ultimately, all we can do is lobby as this is private property in the end.

2) Consider this: If I came to Kodak and had a 20 minute meeting with a business associate, and then left my car in the Kodak lot while I went to a baseball game at Frontier Field, would that be okay? Again, I am sorry this happened to you. But you can see how this is a bit of a sticky issue.

3) I ultimately agree with you. Visitors (especially from out-of-town) should be able to get a pastry and a cup of coffee on Park Ave without being towed. I’m wondering if the signs in that lot are not specific enough or if Boulder needs to warn people about parking next door.. Better yet, Boulder could pay for use-rights on that lot or the city could help arrange an expansion into the lot next door (which is HIGHLY under-utilized) to support our little tiny bit of urban, walkable commerce.. Just so you know, people are towed from that lot on a regular basis by the Pittsford-based Landlord.

Regardless, we’ll make sure your negative experience is circulated among the neighborhood association officials and is taken VERY seriously. Thanks again for bringing it to our attention. But in return we’ll expect you to “start a campaign among Kodak coworkers about how responsive and committed the Park Ave Neighborhood Association unpaid volunteers are.”

I ended up going to Baker Street Bakery then walked over to Boulder Coffee for a Cafe Mocha. At 9pm , the rain had subsided and I decided to leave. When I went to find my car which was parked in the lot of the bakery , my car was gone. I went back to the Coffee shop to ask for them to call the police because my car was thought to be stolen. The young lady said that my car was probably towed and gave me the number to call. The gentlemen at the Towing service said that he had my car (National Rent a Car) and I would have to pay $129 to have it released. I showed the gentlemen my bag of Bakery goods that had been purchased from the bakery but he did not care and asked for me to take them to court. He stated that even though I was a customer that a 8pm he has the right to empty the lot . He says he has been doing this for 7 Years. I went ahead and took pictures of the sign that clearly says that the lot was for customers and tenants. I also took a picture of my bakery goods and the bag it came with.

I have started my campaign to make sure that all of my Fellow coworkers from Kodak knows what a bad experience I had. I hope that the association does a better job controlling the parking lot owners and the towing companies in your area.

Kevin Roman