INDIANAPOLIS — People living on the far east side say the parking lot of a former grocery store is turning into an unauthorized truck stop for semis and other big vehicles.
Fortunately for anyone who is tired of seeing the trucks and trailers parked there in the old Needler's lot, the city is doing something to prevent it. But city ordinances are such that it might not happen as quickly as they'd like.
"It just seems dumpy," Maigen Richey said. "There are more cars parked in here that are kind of random. We don't really know where they're coming from."
Needler's still owns the lot, and a spokesman for the grocery store said they are trying to work with the city to get all the vehicles removed.
"It seems like you shouldn't just be able to park anywhere you want," Richey said.
A spokesman for Lawrence police said the department has received permission to start removing vehicles from the lot.
"You've got an RV over there. You got road crews leaving their stuff here," Carol Curran said. "Now we got an 18-wheeler flat bed in there."
A driver of a semi-truck was seen inspecting his truck. He walked away and still had not returned two hours later. Lawrence police said there is nothing to stop someone from parking and even sleeping in a truck there overnight.
"That's not good at all," Richey said. "I would love it if they would just replace the building with something else just so we can use it instead of letting it sit empty."
What police can do is tag any vehicles, campers or trailers and remove them 72 hours later, unless the owner of the property calls police and specifically asks for that vehicle to be removed from private property.
"I would like to see those removed," Curran said. "I think they're an eyesore. I would like to see something go in there that's gonna be profitable for them and be able to help the community as well."
