If you've been using the parking lot surrounding The Gazebo in downtown Fayetteville as a used car dealership, beware.

Your car may not be there when you return one of these days soon.

Fayette County commissioners Monday unanimously agreed to allow the city of Fayetteville to enforce parking restrictions at the gazebo.

“We've had a lot of complaints from people that they can't find a parking spot,” said Fayetteville city manager Mike Bryant. “It's supposed to be two-hour parking.”

Drivers not only often leave cars in the parking lot with “for sale” signs on them, in effect turning the parking area into a used car lot, but also leave their cars at The Gazebo all day to go to work, Bryant said.

“We have that problem all over the city, not just there,” said Bryant. But it's an added problem at The Gazebo, because many people need to use the lot so they can shop at downtown businesses.

The city owns The Gazebo, all that remains of the former Jack Day Park, and the county owns the 200- by 200-foot parking strip that surrounds it, though there is an easement that allows municipal parking.

To be on the safe side, the city asked the county's permission before beginning enforcement, Bryant said in a letter to county officials.

The city will warn potential violators with signs stating that “motor vehicles parked on this property for rthe purpose of selling or advertising for sale shall be towed and store at the vehicle owner's expense,” he said.

Bryant said he also will ask the City Council to consider clarifying and tightening up its parking ordinances during the group's Nov. 1 meeting, 7 p.m. at City Hall.

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