NIU students may now find vacant spaces instead of parked cars on Garden Road.

Cars parked there between 2 and 9 a.m. will be towed according to a city ordinance passed by the DeKalb City Council on July 28. Parking was also eliminated from the south drive of Barsema Hall to College View.

Towed cars will cost the students a $50 impound fee in addition to the inconvenience of getting their cars back.

The ordinance was passed after a special meeting where DeKalb residents and Student Association representatives reached a compromise.

“My concern is since that is a tow zone, the only representation is a pictorial representation below the no-parking sign,” said Adam Novotney, SA director of governmental affairs.

Novotney also was concerned that students might not be aware of the tow possibilities since the ordinance was passed when most students were away for summer.

“It was sort of an underhanded effort by the city while most students weren’t here,” Novotney said. “This was a compromise in the largest extent; the city residents were coming from a stand point of no parking whatsoever.”

City Manager Jim Connors said that although the ordinance is in effect, for the first few days of school only warning tickets will be given out to students.

“The first couple of weeks we’ll work with people,” Connors said, “[but] they shouldn’t be parking where there’s yellow whether it’s Garden Road or anywhere else.”

The parking issue will be brought before the city council in November for review so that changes, if required, can be made before spring semester.