Lower Valley residents park across the street to avoid complying with HACEP policy

People who live in a public housing complex say a parking policy is so strict they have to park across the street at a rec center.

They live at the Marmolejo Apartment Complex near Carolina and North Loop. The Carolina Recreation Center is right across the street.

“If you want to find a parking spot you either need to park across the street or far over there,” resident Savannah Lopez said Wednesday afternoon.

People who live in Marmolejo Apartments in the Lower Valley, a Housing Authority of the City of El Paso complex, say parking is tight. So now, they are parking at the Carolina Rec Center across the street.

“Some people have possibly ignored the notices but now it’s in effect and towing companies are out there 24/7,” HACEP spokesman Shane Griffith said.

Forty-six public housing sites across the city have a parking policy that’s been in place for more than two years. But, it started being enforced March 1.

Residents who don’t have a parking permit sticker, which is limited to two vehicles per unit, are having their vehicles towed.

Why do some residents living in the community not have permits?

“Maybe because the truck is not under their name or stuff like that or they don’t have money to buy license plates,” resident Juan Carlos Campos said. He was caught parking his truck at the rec center by ABC-7.

He added that about 20-30 cars park in the lot across the street on a nightly basis and that means they have to cross the busy street to get home.

Signs throughout the complex warn people what could happen if they don’t comply, but HACEP says it will work with residents and even offer conditional permits based on special circumstances.

“People who don’t live here park here and they don’t deserve the parking,” Lopez said.

The Housing Authority says it can only enforce parking on its properties. It would be the rec center’s responsibility to remove cars parked there, but so far people who work there say it hasn’t become a problem.

Griffith says any tenants who do not yet have their parking permit should see their property manager as soon as possible. Residents are held financially responsible if their vehicle is towed, and the costs could be in the hundreds of dollars.

Those who have had their cars towed need to contact AD Wrecker Service, 3536 Lee Boulevard, by calling 915-856-9200.