NEW CASTLE —
The city of New Castle has already run out of room with its new impound lot on North Street.
So, on the recommendation of the administration, city council approved a one-year lease Thursday to impound additional vehicles at 28 W. Grant Street.
Michael Robinson of Volant, owner of the property next to the Pizza Hut, will lease the lot to the city for $1,000 per month, with an option to renew for an additional year.
The lot on North Street by the police station can accommodate about eight vehicles and another eight to nine vehicles are being housed in the city hall garage, according to Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo.
The Grant Street lot, which is fenced in with barbed wire at the top, can accommodate at least 50 cars, he said.
Mastrangelo said the city will make the lease payments out of drug forfeiture funds and there is a chance the district attorney’s office will provide some financial assistance.
The city collected only $75 in January when the North Street lot opened. The lot generated $1,350 in February and in the first six days of March it produced $1,000, the mayor said.
In voting against the lease, Councilman Thomas Smith said he “would prefer to use forfeiture funds in the police department for something other than a parking lot.”
Councilman Richard Beshero, however, asked, “Where are we going to put the cars?”
Councilman William Panella said he would monitor whether the city is making or losing money by the end of the year.
Mastrangelo responded that since the lease is only for one year, council can decide whether it wants to renew it for 2014.
(Email: jmanna@ncnewsonline.com)
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