(a) Any person may apply to the parking division of the department of operations within the office of public works for a special handicapped parking space if the applicant:
(1) Is a resident of the city;
(2) Resides in a dwelling unit with no associated accessible off-street parking; and
(3) Possesses a parking placard or license plate (i) from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, pursuant to section 13-616 of the Transportation Article of the Maryland Annotated Code, as amended from time to time; or (ii) from any other state, issued for reasons substantially similar to those set forth in section 13-616.1(a)(2).
(b) Application for a special handicapped parking space shall be made on a form provided by the division of parking, accompanied by the following documentation:
(1) A copy of the placard or license plate described in subsection (a) of this section;
(2) Documentation showing that the applicant resides in the dwelling for which the applicant seeks to have the special handicapped parking space created; and
(3) A description of the vehicle for which the placard or license plate described in subsection (a) of this section has been issued.
(c) Any special handicapped parking space issued pursuant to this section shall be in effect only for the vehicle described in subsection (b)(3) of this section.
(d) Any applicant issued a special handicapped parking space pursuant to this section shall be required to provide the city with a refundable deposit in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00). The aforementioned deposit will be returned if the parking permit is forfeited, at the conclusion of the calendar year, or if the permit is revoked.
(e) (1) A special handicapped parking space shall be good for one year, beginning January 1st and expiring December 31st of the calendar year which it is issued.
(2) Application for special handicapped parking space renewals may be made beginning on December 1st of the calendar year before they expire and shall be made in the manner described in subsection (c) of this section.
(3) Any individual who has been issued a special handicapped parking space must notify the parking division if their status as a handicapped driver as described in subsection (a)(3) of this section has changed.
(i) Notification must be provided within five (5) days of the individual receiving such notice.
(ii) Parking in a special handicapped parking space by an individual who has been provided such parking space or failing to notify of a change within five (5) days as described in subsection (3)(i) of this subsection or after a license plate or placard described in subsection (a)(3) has been revoked shall constitute a violation and the penalty shall be the same as that prescribed in subsection (g) of this section.
(f) Any permit issued pursuant to this section may be revoked by the director of public works after a hearing which may be attended and evidence presented by the holder of a special handicapped parking space.
(g) The owner of any vehicle parked in a special handicapped parking space in violation of this section is guilty of a municipal infraction punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first violation, two hundred dollars ($200.00) for the second violation, and three hundred dollars ($300.00) for each subsequent violation per calendar year. Each day a violation occurs shall be considered a separate offense, and each time a violation is committed in any one day shall be considered a separate offense. (Ord. No. G-74-20, § 1; Ord. No. F-77-1, § 1, 1-27-77; Ord. No. G-84-5, § 1, 3-1-84; Ord. No. G-06-22, 8-3-06)