City Limits' Success Leads to Parking and Towing Issues

Across Ben Ficklin Road, on the north side of City Limits, is American RV. The fenced yard holds hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of brand-new RVs. Mercer pointed to the fence protecting the RV dealership’s expensive inventory.

“Look at how they’ve destroyed the fence,” he said. The fence shows noticeable damage, though it's difficult to determine whether the damage was caused by intoxicated concertgoers in their 20s or simply the wear and tear of time—or perhaps both.

Norris McCarty, a well-known San Angelo musician, said he has had enough of the illegal parking, despite his support for the local live music scene. He posted no-parking signs featuring a tow truck and enlisted the help of Lone Star Towing. McCarty is concerned about the trash and the damage occurring so close to his brand-new RVs.

Patrons often park along the side of Ben Ficklin Road, sometimes angle-parking right up against American RV’s fence.

“Some nights, cars are parked from almost South Bryant down Ben Ficklin all the way around to that Stripes (convenience store),” Mercer said. He has witnessed similar mass parking on the apartment complex’s side of the road.

Below: A pan of the location where the parking problem persists:

Inside the Red Roof Inn office, the manager explained that he doesn’t allow parking near his rooms.

“If someone checks in and gets a room, what’s the point if they can’t park near it?” the manager said.

To protect the Red Roof Inn’s business, City Limits has provided nighttime security to guard the parking lot. So far, it’s been effective, according to the manager.

Reyes Menchaca, who has been managing City Limits for over a year, said parking challenges arose after the venue became the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. The growth of City Limits in popularity is a San Angelo success story. In May 2020, partners including Luis Moreno were considering shutting it down. They had just completed a minor remodel of the former Stage Coach Dance Hall, which previously occupied the space, when the governor’s orders shut all bars in response to COVID-19. They held a meeting with the media and other bar owners to gauge interest in openly violating the shutdown order in protest. With minimal revenue, the risk of City Limits getting shut down by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) was low. More established bars and venues, with more to lose, chose not to join the protest.

Moreno and his team persevered, weathered the shutdowns, and likely secured PPP loans and other government grants to stay afloat. While similar bars, like Midnight Rodeo, with large capacities for popular live music acts, closed down, City Limits gained a monopoly on large-venue concerts.

After a few well-known bands took the stage at City Limits, the business took off. Today, TABC reports that City Limits is the top seller of beer, wine, and mixed drinks in the area, approaching $200,000 in sales per month.

Menchaca attributes the parking problem to growing pains but said the venue is being proactive in addressing the issue. They have leased parking spaces across Bryant Boulevard for employee parking, freeing up at least 20 spots in the City Limits lot. He also acknowledged paying for security to guard the Red Roof Inn parking lot immediately behind the venue. Additionally, they have attempted to work out parking arrangements with neighboring businesses, but options are limited, Menchaca said.

McCarty and Mercer explained that the parking problem persists every Friday and Saturday night. Menchaca said it’s at its worst on Saturday nights after 10:30 p.m.

There’s also the question of where the property line of American RV’s land is along Ben Ficklin Road. Some argued at a May 21 San Angelo City Council meeting that the public right-of-way is located on the shoulder of city roads. It didn’t matter last weekend. Mercer said he witnessed about a half-dozen vehicles being towed from around City Limits, primarily along the American RV fence line.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation sets the maximum charge for towing a vehicle from private property at $272 for vehicles weighing less than 10,001 pounds, which includes vehicles up to and including a Ford F-350 pickup truck. The wrecker company can charge no more than $22.85 per day for storage.

Menchaca advised that the best way to enjoy City Limits on crowded Friday or Saturday nights is to use Uber or Lyft.

Towing of vehicles is not only happening around City. Downtown San Angelo also presents a number of complaints about towing from private property and the ensuing cost to retrieve one's vehicle.

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TLDR data on its website is outdated. The maximum charge per day is $22.85 for vehicle storage. We updated the amount.