ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Some business owners in the Virginia Highland area believe parking meters are hurting their bottom line.

The Atlanta City Council will consider removing the parking meters in the Atkins Park commercial district of Virginia-Highland during a meeting on Tuesday.

“It is a big deterrent,” said Braxton Alexander, the floor manager at The Dirty Tea restaurant.

The Dirty Tea, located on St. Charles Avenue NE, offers a modernized afternoon tea experience with bite-sized sandwiches, desserts, champagne and mocktails.

“So we basically bring in the classy and the fun, the party,” Alexander said.

Like other businesses in the area, the parking spaces are limited, and customers usually have to pay. Parking is free on Sundays only.

Alexander said the parking meters can sometimes hinder the customer experience.

“Also, a lot of the times, people have a lot of issues with it [parking meters] not working,” he said. “Then you go out to your car and you have a ticket.”

It’s why Virginia Highland neighborhood associations and business owners are asking the city to remove the parking meters in the Atkins Park district.

A resolution by Councilman Alex Wan states that removing the parking meters will align with other commercial districts that have no meters.

Alexander said that free parking would also be a great incentive for more people to come to the area.

“People wouldn’t have to worry about the extra element of, ‘Do I need to pay for parking, and then I come in and pay for the service?’” he said.

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