Municipal parking fee increases, lot opens later for Browns games

CLEVELAND - Cleveland Browns tailgaters will be in for a surprise come September 19, the day of the first home opener game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

New on tap for this year is a $5 increase for each parking spot in the Cleveland Municipal Parking Lot on South Marginal Road. The cost of each spot will be going up from $15 to $20.

Also new is the time the lot opens. In past years, the lot opened for hardcore tailgaters at 4 a.m. Now, it will be 7 a.m. That has some season ticket holders in a foul mood.

Larry Oliver, 30, a season ticket holder for 10 years, thinks it's one thing to raise rates, but opening the lot three hours later is unacceptable. Oliver and his friend, Chuck Dean, have started a petition online to show their displeasure. It's gaining a lot of traction, too, with nearly 1,000 signatures as of 10:50 a.m. Thursday.

One of Oliver's chief concerns is a back up of cars. Plus, friends from around the country come to Browns games to enjoy an experience of a lifetime, he said.

Darnell Brown, Chief Operating Officer for the city of Cleveland, feels for Browns fans.

Brown said Cleveland is trying to keep in line with other cities that have NFL teams for parking lot opening times. The $5 increase will help offset the cost for services rendered, he said. He reiterated that the rate increase is not about making money.

Cleveland has not had a rate increase since the current administration has been in place.

You can view and/or sign the petition started by Oliver and Dean here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ClevMuni/petition.html