Business owner to go to court over parking issues

Robert Vilandry just wants easy-access parking for his customers. The city of Clovis says those parking spots in front of the Bullet Bob Has It store on Main Street are for everyone.

Vilandry said last week he plans to go to court Monday to try and reason with City Hall.

“It’s because of my parking signs and my sweeping flags,” Vilandry said. “These things are on city property. It might be city property, but I don’t see the problem. It’s not bothering anyone.”

Daron Roach, director of Building Safety for the city, provided the ordinance at issue:

“One (1) temporary sign may be located on a property containing a business so long as any such sign is located within ten (10) feet of the entrance to the principal building and is removed by the property owner when the business is not open to the public,” the ordinance reads.

When Vilandry was ticketed earlier this year for violating the sign code, he had three parking signs in front of his business that read:

“RESERVED PARKING Bullet Bob Has It CUSTOMERS ONLY

TUESDAY – SATURDAY 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.”

Vilandry said parking became an issue for him when downtown business began increasing the last two years, especially the success of the Bandolero Brewery next door to Bullet Bob Has It.

“There’s other businesses affected by these restaurant patrons taking up parking,” Vilandry said. “I’m not the only one.”

Vilandry said it can be seen from his receipts that his business drops off at lunch.

“I was mentioning this to Andrew who owns Bandolero and he suggested I put up the parking signs,” Vilandry said.

Andrew Logan is the owner of Bandolero Brewery.

“Bullet Bob brought it up about the parking and putting up some signs and I said, ‘Sure, go ahead,’” Logan said.

Logan describes his relationship with his business neighbor as “good.”

“He (Vilandry) eats lunch here a few times a week,” Logan said. “He even receives packages for us when we’re not here.”

Vilandry’s fight is with the city of Clovis.

It’s not the first time Vilandry has complained to the city about code enforcement. He tried to resolve the parking issue in 2021 as well.

City Attorney Jared Morris said at the time that parking ordinances and sign code could be modified to apportion a certain number of spots for each Main Street business. But until and unless those changes were made, Morris said, the city needed to enforce what’s on the books.

In addition to the parking signs, Vilandry is accused of violating code by flying large flags.

“Prohibited Signs: Signs which contain or consist of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, other similarly moving devices or signs which are likely to fall or dismount due to unusual or weather or unusually high wind,” the ordinance reads.

“We sent out over 3,000 notices about the new sign code last year,” Roach said.

Vilandry said his parking signs are only intended to remind motorists that his customers need a place to park.

“When I had my parking signs up some people who weren’t my customers ignored them and parked there anyway, some backed up and respected the sign,” Vilandry said. “I didn’t enforce it.”

Vilandry said he believes every downtown business owner should be able to put one or two signs in front of their location. He is further concerned about a new restaurant opening soon downtown that will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

He’s also annoyed that the city does not seem to be enforcing all of its sign rules, such as limiting parking to two hours.

“I’ve never seen the city enforce that,” he said.

Police Capt. Roman Romero, responding to a question from The News, wrote in an email, “I don’t recall any parking citations being issued in the last month.”

Romero also wrote that he understands Vilandry’s frustration about the parking limitations on Main Street.

“With such limited parking, much of this is up to the neighboring businesses to create a balance of use and accessibility that serves each of them,” Romero wrote.

In addition to letting him post signs asking motorists reserve space for his customers, Vilandry wants the city to create better signs pointing the way to parking areas.

Meanwhile, he is obeying the city rules as he heads off to court.

The penalty for violating the sign code is $500 per sign per day, according to Vilandry.

“I haven’t put my signs up since I got the ticket,” Vilandry said. “And my sales are crazy down.”