Football season brings new parking ordinance for Clemson

by Press Release - Thu Jul 21 17:43:25 GMT-04:00 2016

This release is from the City of Clemson:

To many of our residents, fall in Clemson means one thing; football. Even if you are not the most rabid of fans, all of us are impacted by football one way or the other. In an effort to accommodate growing trends while at the same time protecting our neighborhoods, City Council has approved a new ordinance that governs gameday and event parking.The ordinance was crafted in a manner that was fair to property owners and entrepreneurs while taking measures to preserve the sanctity of our neighborhoods.

This ordinance regulates the use of private property for those charging a fee for parking during Clemson University football home games and City-approved events. Currently, City-approved events include Clemson University’s spring scrimmage, Clemson University graduations, NCAA intercollegiate tournaments, playoff or championship competitions in any sport, and ACC tournament, playoff, or championship competitions in any sport. When in doubt as to whether an event is a City-approved special event, those wishing to sell parking spaces should contact the City before doing so.

Those desiring to charge a fee or suggest a donation in return for parking must register in advance with the City. The registration year runs from January 1st to December 31st. All registrations expire on December 31st each year, regardless of when they were purchased during the year.

Those wishing to sell parking must also obtain a valid annual business license from the City of Clemson’s Business License Office. Businesses already operating in the City that have valid business licenses need not obtain an additional business license in order to conduct gameday parking. However, gameday parking revenue for such businesses must be included in annual business license applications. Similarly, property owners that are nonprofits or that allow nonprofit organizations to sell parking for football games and special events must register annually, but need not apply for a business license. Nonprofit organizations are legitimate not-for-profit, religious, charitable, and/or service organizations.

The rules regarding parking were kept simple by asking that people post a sign (provided by the City) showing they are registered, pick up their litter, limit parking times, and not let their yard turn into an eyesore. Click here to view the ordinance.

On Tuesday, August 9th from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM and Friday, August 12th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, the City will be hosting Q & A Meetings at City Hall, 1250 Tiger Boulevard, Suite # 1. You can ask questions, register for your business license, and get your sign at either of these meetings. If you cannot attend, please come to the Business License Office at City Hall by Friday, August 19th to register.