Barry Reaches Out to Used Car Dealers

Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry has drafted emergency legislation aimed at helping D.C. used car dealers hold onto their businesses.

Nearly 150 of them have been shut down since Mayor Adrian Fenty began a crackdown last fall. Fenty said many of the businesses are eyesores in their neighborhoods and many are chop shops for stolen vehicles. His administration also said many operated as repair shops and storage for cars being shipped out of town.

Councilman Barry held a news conference Friday with dozens of dealers complaining that complying with new Fenty regulations would drive them out of business. They say they can't afford to build new structures to enclose their vehicles with only four cars allowed outdoors for display purposes.

Barry's bill would regulate how the dealers operate, but make it easier for some of them to stay in business.