CARRBORO- Folks who enjoy Carrboro’s nightlife, but worry about driving home afterward, may once again leave their vehicles parked in public lots overnight.

Just before Carrboro’s Mayor and Aldermen closed a work session to the public on Tuesday night, Alderman Damon Seils made the evening’s last public motion: “…that we remove the change we made around 3 a.m.-to-5 a.m. parking in public lots.”

It’s been a nagging issue for Seils for several weeks, and voting on it was pre-empted by another threat of inclement weather a few weeks ago.

But Tuesday, he finally got a vote on rescinding the town’s prohibition on parking in public lots between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

It didn’t take long. There was no need for a staff presentation, and comments, such as this one from Alderman Jacquelyn Gist, were few:

“I second that, because it was a mistake on our part,” admitted Gist. “Because it’s encouraging people to drive cars when they shouldn’t.”

The ban was put in place last year. Speaking to WCHL recently, Seils recapped how parking in public lots during the wee hour became an issue in the first place.

“Some residents, who were beginning to use the public parking lots for long-term parking, because, presumably, they didn’t have enough parking on their property,” he said.

Not long after Aldermen voted for the ban, Seils and others reconsidered. He told WCHL that it wasn’t because of a reported uptick in roadway accidents or DUI arrests.

He said it was based on feedback from local business owners and constituents, who just thought it was a bad idea to make people drive when they shouldn’t just to avoid getting a parking ticket.

Nobody has to worry about that anymore. Alderman have now — unanimously — removed that ban on “wee-hours” parking.

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