HAMPTON, Va. — Starting July 1, Hampton residents can no longer park in their front yard if parking is allowed on the street.
If there's no parking allowed on your street, the rule doesn't apply to you.
City leaders said the ordinance was written to beautify the area after people complained about the eye-sore of having yards full of vehicles near them. Neighbors claim that lowers the value of nearby properties.
Some residents, though, told 13News Now that leaders were missing the mark.
“It’s not a priority,” Nikia Miller, a Hampton resident said.
“It’s a hindrance,” said Tara Lynch, another Hampton resident.
Lynch lives off Victoria Boulevard in Hampton, where she said parking is scarce.
“The driveways are relatively small, and a lot of the neighbors on my street, they have three to four cars just per household,” Lynch said.
That leads many people park on the grass to stay off the street. Though Miller isn’t personally impacted by the new law, she said she feels Hampton leaders should address other pressing issues.
“We’ve got roads that need to be fixed," she said. "We’ve got an excess of crime that has upticked in the city of Hampton. We still have a missing 4-year-old boy.”
Lynch said she would like to see city leaders work to solve flooding issues across the city. Miller plans to take her concerns to city council members at next week's meeting.
Robin McCormick, a city spokeswoman, said city leaders are suggesting people put in a driveway. Residents do have to obtain a permit to install a driveway.
Anyone can apply for a grant through the city to install it, but McCormick said you’re not required to have a driveway in Hampton.
"If there’s street parking available, use the street parking. You don’t have to get a driveway," McCormick said. "No one is requiring you to. And if you don’t have street parking, nothing changes for you. You can still park on your lawn."
McCormick said people can temporarily park on their lawns during flooding, city events, washing their car, street sweeping, or if you need to load or unload a car.