At the recommendation of the Mayor’s Disability Commission, all handicapped parking spaces in the downtown area will be metered.

During a recessed meeting on May 28, the Oxford Board of Aldermen voted to approve the recommendation from the Commission and meter all handicapped parking spaces around the Square and inside parking lots that are paid at a kiosk.

Chairman Cameron Stubbs said the reason for the commission’s recommendation was to try to prevent abuse of handicapped spaces.

“We have found that people that do park there, even if they are credentialed, will tend to stay there all day,” Stubbs told the Eagle on Friday. “We have also found people who are not credentialed parking there because there isn’t any more parking anywhere else and they are just wanting to get parked to go out.”

 

Eagle intern Ian Sparks contributed to this report.