COEUR d'ALENE - McEuen Park's 450 covered parking spaces in downtown Coeur d'Alene have also provided cover for troublesome activities.

Coeur d'Alene Police have been called to the garage more than 100 times in the past five months, fielding complaints of graffiti, vandalism, speeding, drag racing, and large groups of partyers.

Transients have been sleeping and camping in the garage and using it as a bathroom, according to a city attorney.

"(The garage) has provided shelter from the elements and screened from public view activities that are not conducive to its intended use as a vehicle parking facility," Chief Criminal Deputy Attorney Wes Somerton wrote in a report to the city council's General Services Committee.

Coeur d'Alene's City Council on Sept. 2 will consider adding a new ordinance establishing rules of conduct for the garage and giving city police the teeth to enforce those rules.

"Currently, law enforcement and parking enforcement can only encourage persons who gather for purposes other than the intended use of the parking structure to move on," Somerton wrote.

Without a law in place, Somerton said police have "no lawful means" to force people to comply.

The ordinance Somerton is proposing establishes nearly a dozen different "City Parking Structure Rules of Conduct" - the first prohibiting users from violating any state, federal or local laws in the garage.

The rules prohibit anyone from using the garage for anything other than parking - including housing, camping, cooking, bathing, sleeping or "as a toilet." People would not be allowed to post fliers or distribute literature in the garage or have gatherings or events in the garage.

Vandalism, graffiti, loitering, harassment and "conduct that creates unreasonable noise, or conduct that consists of loud or boisterous physical behavior," are also addressed in the proposed rules.

First-time violators of the garage rules would be guilty of an infraction and a fine of $100, plus court costs. Subsequent offenses would be considered a misdemeanor offense.

Damages to the parking garage - with the heaviest damage to the garage's fire extinguishers - have cost the city more than $500 since March.