9 Investigates veterans fighting for parking at VA clinics

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Army veteran Michael Eaves said he saw Vietnam like no other. As a photographer, his job was to capture life in the Army and the brutal images of war.

And like so many, decades later, he receives care through the Department of Veteran's Affairs Clinic in Daytona Beach; which is outgrowing its space.

Watch: Veteran describes parking problems

“You have to drive around, park on grass, and park in the private areas. It's pretty rough sometimes." Eaves said.

The parking is so bad at the Daytona Beach clinic, veterans contacted Eyewitness News.

Curtis Williams, a former Navy medic, uses a cane and back brace. He said the parking is so bad, he’s had to park on the street.

"It seems like everybody is running into each other. I don't care what time of day you come here,” Williams said.

When Channel 9’s Blaine Tolison investigated the problem, he found the parking lot filled before 8 o'clock in the morning on a Tuesday.

Veterans had to drive around, waiting for a spot to open or they parked off property.

Eyewitness News watched as employees who share the lot with veterans, arrived first taking the closer parking spaces. Then, patients who came later, walked as far as a few hundred yards to the clinic entrance.

“I can assure you, V.A. will hear from me and those V.A. employees will be moved,” Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, said.

Representative Mica said the parking problem is not just in Daytona Beach, which is no longer in his district. He said it's all over and even worse at the V.A. clinic in Orange City, where veterans park in a gravel lot and walk over grass to get to their appointment.

Mica told Eyewitness News the Daytona Beach clinic needs to be expanded from 77,000 to 109,000 square feet and the Orange City clinic must expand from 6,000 to 10,000 square feet.

“The problem we have, is we have a thousands of people moving to Florida a day or more; many of them are veterans," Mica said.

Eyewitness News contacted the V.A. and a spokesperson declined our request for an on-camera interview, but issued a statement explaining it has already requested approval for a larger facility with plenty of parking in Daytona Beach.

Thank you for your concern for our Veterans in Daytona Beach. Through the VA Strategic Capital Investment Program we have identified a Capital gap in meeting the growing demand for Veterans Services in the Daytona Beach area.  Though this process we have identified the need for a larger clinic and are seeking approval to secure a newer and larger facility that will provide greater access to VA care and ample parking for our Veterans using our services there. That work will continue until we have achieved those goals.

We recognize that our Daytona Beach clinic is well attended and parking can be difficult for both Veterans and employees – many of whom are Veterans themselves - during the work week. Our facility currently includes the maximum amount of parking spaces available, which is still short of the need. We continue to explore other options to address the shortage of parking.  We apologize for the inconvenience to both our Veterans and employees, and continue to encourage everyone to share a ride when possible in order to reduce parking difficulties.

Mica said, "It takes such a long time for V.A. to do anything."  He said he is pushing for improvements, but admitted the department’s bureaucracy is an obstacle.

Vets, like Eaves, wonder when help will come. He said, “We need to expand the V.A. for the veterans and especially the young ones getting back from Afghanistan and Iraq. These young guys are coming out and they need help."

Contact Blaine Tolison for more on this story.

Cox Media Group