SEATTLE (KCPQ/CNN) - The sound of music, from rock to jazz and everything in between, has been the tune at Seattle Rehearsal for 28 years.
"You have enough struggles to try to own and operate a business, then to have your city try to put you out," said Jodi Opitz, who owns the 24-hour business renting out studios to musicians.
She's provided rehearsing space for big names like Heart, Macklemore and Elvis Costello.
Opitz put a “no parking” sign on her loading dock for musicians to get equipment in and out fast, but the Seattle Department of Transportation said she can't do that, and they want her to use other signs instead.
"If you can visualize one car parking for (a) half hour or an hour, then the other car coming and parking for half hour or an hour, you could do that forever and never have access to your loading dock," Opitz said.
Opitz said she not only owns the building, but lives in it too. She said she’s spent much time and money to customize the property which has helped her business thrive.
"The problem has been that a lot of people have converted these buildings into offices and now it’s become an eight-hour parking lot," Opitz said.
The parking dispute with the city started years ago.
The city has limited hour parking signs at neighboring businesses on Occidental but Opitz said she won't put up those up because they don't work for her business model.
"I have 180 tenants in the building and then I have hourly rehearsals as well, " Opitz said.
She said she has the right to reasonable access to her property and said the signs she put up warning drivers they'll get towed have worked.
Her choice to not comply with SDOT has come at a steep cost, a $500 fine every day.
As of now, she owes $545,000 in fines.
SDOT said it can’t comment specifically about her situation because she's in active litigation with the city.
"I lose my business one way or another if I can’t get in,” she said. “I’m going to lose my business. if I have to pay half a million dollar fine, I’m going have to sell and get out of here."
Opitz said this is her life’s work. She'll fight to make sure the music doesn't stop.
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