If you thought parking enforcement at Cultus Lake was already strict, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Anyone who visits the popular summer destination near Chilliwack knows how quickly the parking tickets fly in the paid parking areas near Main Beach.
But as of this Friday, June 29, a further crackdown that includes vehicle immobilization is coming in resident-only areas.
In a press release issued Wednesday, the board said the new “Vehicle Immobilization Device Usage Policy and Procedure” approved by the Cultus Lake Park Board earlier this month means bylaw enforcement “may” immobilize any vehicle that is parked in a designated “Permit Parking Only” area without a valid parking permit clearly displayed.
(This was a softening of an earlier version of the press release, which said “bylaw enforcement will immobilize any vehicle” illegally parked.)
As for vehicles parked in areas impeding emergency access, they will be immediately towed.
“Cultus Lake Park is a popular place, and challenges with parking cause frustration for both residents and visitors,” Park Board Chair Joe Lamb said in a press release. “Our Vehicle Immobilization Device Usage Policy and Procedure has been put in place to make sure that everyone obeys parking bylaws. When that happens, it makes for a much more pleasurable experience at Cultus Lake Park for everyone.”
If your car is immobilized, signage will be posted in the park with a phone number to have the device removed.
This information will also be left on any immobilized vehicle. The fine for a vehicle parked on Cultus Lake Park property, without displaying a valid permit, is $50 with an additional fee of $100 for the removal of the vehicle immobilization device.
“Focusing on stronger bylaw enforcement means there is incentive for people to ensure that they are parking where it is allowed,” Lambe said. “And there is a high cost to those who continue to park where they shouldn’t.”
• RELATED: From 2016 – Parking and lease rates going up in Cultus Lake Park
• RELATED: From 2013 – Parking rates proposed to go up in Cultus Lake
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