5.1. SR 10-08-2007REQUEST FOR ACTION
To Item Number
Ci Council 5.1.
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Woxksession October 8, 2007 Loxi Johnson, City Administrator;
Scott Clark, Community Development
Director; Cathy Mehelich, Economic
Develo ment Director
Item Description Reviewed by
Continue Downtown Parking Study Discussion
Reviewed by
Action Requested
^ Accept Downtown Parking Study by Carl Walker, Inc.
^ Approve Downtown Parking Regulations and Permit System
Background/Discussion
On September 17 Mx. Bill Surna Parking Specialist fox Caxl Walker, Inc. presented the Downtown
Parking Study and answered questions from the Council, HRA, and downtown business people.
Following presentation of the study, Police Chief Jeff Beahen presented recommendations fox employee
and residential parking and permitting. Due to the length of the discussions and the number of items yet
to be discussed, the Council continued the discussion to this work session.
There are two main items to discuss at the work session: 1. Accepting the Downtown Parking Study. 2.
Residential parking locations and permits. This memo evill address the parking study. Attached are two
memos addressing residential parking. The Council's direction on residential parking affects employee
parking so both will be discussed even though the CouncIl has already made a decision on employee
parking.
First, the CouncIl should decide whether to accept the parking study. Although there axe some concerns
and questions about the study, there axe advantages to accepting the study as prepared. First, it gives us a
baseline - a starting point from which to make adjustments as parking patterns and volume change. The
study data and future adjustments to that data axe valuable tools fox making current and future parking
decisions. Second, accepting the study gives the developers of new commercial space the parking data
they need to help market their commercial units. Third, the study includes a list of recommendations
that, if adopted, will help deal with current and future parking related items in a proactive way to help
avoid parking problems.
When the study was presented, questions were raised about its validity since the actual parking count was
only fox one day and that one day of data was used as the measure fox the study. Mx. Suxna explained at
the meeting that this methodology is typical of the parking studies they do. He stated that other cities
have also questioned using only one day and have chosen to do additional parking counts, but the end
S:\Cuuncil\I,od\2007\Paxking Smdy.doc
result only changes by one ox two percent. The study should be viewed as a baseline for a given point in
time and accepted knowing that the parking situation may change when Jackson Avenue reopens to a
two-way street and new businesses open. Using this study as a baseline, changes can be applied if, fox
example, the Council feels that parking demands were lower because of street closures. In addition
periodic counts should be taken to adjust the data. Staff suggests that a count be taken every six months
and the data adjusted accordingly. These counts would be conducted by city staff. It was recently
announced that tevo new commercial businesses will be opening in the new developments. Reviewing
parking after the new business open will provide information on the demand those and other new
businesses axe likely to place on downtown parking. This will allow staff to track changes and trends in
parking which should in turn allow enough time to plan fox and accommodate future parking needs.
Further, the study includes a list of recommendations. Staff agrees with the recommendations and is
prepared to begin working on the recommendations if the study is approved by the Council. Each of the
items would come back to the Council fox consideration and approval before being implemented.
Obviously, some axe much easier and don't require funding while others axe more long term because of
the planning ox funding that may be needed.
One of the recommendations is to adopt Guiding Principles fox downtown parking as outlined in the
study to help set expectations, define the mission, determine responsibilities, help plan fox and manage
parking needs, as well as other parking related items. Another recommendation is to designate a single
department to be in charge of parking with the understanding that certain responsibilities would be
delegated to other departments. Staff recommends that the Public Works Department be the department
responsible fox parking. The street division would still be responsible fox lot maintenance and the police
department would still be responsible fox parking enforcement. However, there axe many benefits to
having one department oversee and coordinate all aspects of parking. This will lead to greater
coordination, communication, and planning fox parking needs. Improving pedestrian facilities, improving
the lots north of Highway 10 and maintaining communication between the city and downtown business
axe some of the other recommendations.
In conclusion, at Monday's work session staff requests that the Council take action on accepting the
parking study first and then discuss residential parking. Staff will be prepared to go over the parking
permit recommendations in greater detail at the meeting and answer questions about the
recommendations. Please bring the downtown parking study that was included in your September 17
packet to the meeting fox reference. If you need another copy, please contact the administration
department.
Financial Impact
The financial impact depends upon which of the recommendations axe implemented and the tuning.
T'hexe is no immediate ox significant impact to accepting the study ox to implementing the recommended
parking permitting plan fox employee and residential parking.
Attachments
^ Map of existing parking regulations and locations
5:\Council\Loxi\~7\Pazking Smdy.doc
Parking Permits and Downtown Parking memo from Jeff Beahen, Terry Maurer, Scott Clark, and
Phil Hats
• Snow Removal in the King Avenue Parking Lot memo from Terry Mautex
Action '_~totion by _ Second by Vote
Follow Up
S:\Coa~cil\Lon\2007\Pazking Study.doc
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Police Department
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jeffrey A. Beahen, Chief of Police, Terry Maurer, Public
Works Director, Scott Clark, Community Development
Director and Phil Hals, Street Superintendent
DATE: October 8, 2007
SUBJECT: Parking Permits and Downtown Parking
The above mentioned staff have met to discuss the parking permit process as it relates to the
downtown businesses, specifically the permitted uses of the King Avenue lot. Our consensus
is as follows:
The Council has advocated putting employees, residential and visiting parking as well as
customer parking all in the King Avenue lot. We do not support this multiple use fox a
variety of reasons. In general, such multiple uses axe not suggested ox used in any other
community, almost always fox the same reasons we have outlined below.
1) Multiple use of any such lot requires corresponding schedules ox hours of
operation that are consistent with the parking utilization. Fox example, if we
sign and utilize the lot as employee parking only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.,
we must assume that employees would only work between those hours. We
have several businesses however that have employees who arrive at 3 a.m,
4 a.m., 6 a.m, and 7 a.m. That would encroach upon the residential parking
and would make enforcement and regulation very difficult.
2) In addition, we have a significant number of businesses that have employees
who work past 6 p.m. In fact, most of the downtown businesses are open
past 6 p.m. This co-mingles employee and residential parking and creates
potential parking conflicts.
3) This multi-use will also work only if all the residential users worked hours
that were consistent with their assigned parking hours. In other words, they
arrive home after 6 p.m. and leave fox work prior to 8 a.m. A 7 a.m.-3:30
p.m. shift ox even an 8 a.m.-4 p.m. shift would require these users to relocate
their car after they arrived home. We also have some downtown residents
who would work nights and would need day time parking.
4) The logistics of trying to coordinate specific parking areas in the same lot,
while working azound numerous different work and personal schedules, is
almost an impossible task.
5) Snow removal is the primary issue with 24 x 7 parking lot use, and one that
could impact all of downtown each winter season. We have a tendency to
think of snowfalls as 4-5 snow events each winter. Historically, the street
department plans on 15 snow events each year. Although the last few years
have been fax less, there is no assurance that "normal" winters may not
return at any time. In fact, certain parts of the United States in the past few
years have seen significantly higher than normal snow events, while MN was
almost snow free.
6) Adding overnight residential parkexs to the King Avenue lot adds significant
impact to the effective removal of snow. We have only had to deal with just a
few overnight vehicles for the past 30 years, and that small impact at times
has been demonstrable. Even if all of the vehicles are placed to one side it
still requires a great deal of extra wank, especially during a heavy ar wet snow.
'~ Add to that the confusion ox conflict about where to park and when, and
stray cars parked outside their areas can clog the lot up and prevent the
removal of snow from critical areas. We have to keep in mind that
downtown snow removal is a two-day process. The first night the snow is
plowed, the second night the piles axe loaded into trucks fox removal to
another location where they axe dumped.
8) Trying to manage the parking over a 24-hoot period adds to the potential of
cars being parked where they should not. We currently have two community
service officers who manage the downtown parking system doting the day.
We have no staff assigned to this detail in the evening, night, or weekends as
there was never a need. Bringing a system into play that requires 24-hour
monitoring to insure compliance adds additional work to the police
department that cuxxendy does not have the staff to monitor the assigned
areas. Having residential apart from the primary parking does not require
strict monitoring and enforcement, as the potential fox abuse is minimal.
9) We would have to sign the King Avenue lot for three different "levels" of
parking. One sign to control overnight, one to control employees, and a third
to regulate customers and other outside traffic. (Commuters, long term, etc)
That will create a lot of extra poles and signs that will add to the confusion of
parking, day ox night.
10) There axe currently 150 pazking spots in the King Avenue lot. Of those, 96
axe designated as employee parking. Of those, 23 axe deeded to First
National Financial Services. We have 156 employees (including 34 from First
National) that would like permits fox the King Avenue lot (see attached
survey). With that being one of the primary uses of the lot, it would be
logical to focus the lot use around that primary need. Adding at a minimum
41 residential parkexs to this lot, regardless of the residential parking time
frame, overuses the available spaces and encourages us to look elsewhere fox
residential parking areas.
Staff suggests to Council that they review the recommendations of the parking study which
advocates placing our residential parking across Highway 10, on the south side of the tracks
west of Jackson. We would concur that there should be lighting enhancements, pavement
resurfacing, and other physical improvements to this lot to make it more visible and safer fox
those who use it. Having the residential parking located here in regard to snowfall is a non-
issue as the lot could be posted once the primary plowing is done, vehicles would be
removed, and the lot cleared the following day. The overall impact is fax less than any other
proposed parking arrangement.
As staff understands it, the major rationale behind not using the north lot is the safety of
pedestrians crossing Highway 10. Statistics related to the safety of Highway 10 and Jackson
do not support the theory that the intersection is unsafe fox pedestrian ox vehicle traffic. We
have no recent records of pedestrian related accidents, and the few recorded crashes involve
vehicles with accidents that are normally rear-end collisions and often associated with
vehicles making turns.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services "Guide for Traffic Safety", the indicia fox establishing the safety or lack of safety of
an intersection, is the number of pedestrian crashes, the number of vehicle crashes, and the
number of complaints. The first two categories, which have the most weight, axe almost
non-existent. The comments received concerning Highway 10 and Jackson from some
concerned citizens ox business groups axe very few, they axe perceptual, and not supported
by documented incidents. In reality, crossing Highway 10 at Jackson, a 30 mph zone, is no
more dangerous than crossing any similar roadway anywhere in the metropolitan area.
To label the intersection as "dangerous" and out of play as fax as parking is concerned, land
locks the downtown area and takes our extended parking areas out of the equation and
bottlenecks our ability to manage the parking system. We would ask that the Council
reconsider not making the King Avenue lot the only lot to be allowed fox permitted parking
and ask that consideration be given as well to allowing the Highway 101ot use as stated fox
residential permits.
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• • • • • • •
ver
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Terry Maurer, Public Works Director
DATE: October 8, 2007
SUBJECT: Snow Removal in the King Avenue Parking Lot
As requested by the City Council, Street Superintendent Phil Hals, Assistant Street
Superintendent Maxk Thompson, and I met to discuss potential changes to snow removal in
the King Avenue parking lot, should resident parking be allowed on an overnight basis. If
this is to occur, it would be our suggestion that the overnight parking of residents be only
allowed in the row of parking stalls adjacent to Trunk Highway 10. This row of stalls has
approximately 26 regular parking stalls and two handicap stalls. If this were the only location
that cars were parked when our snow removal equipment first arrives at the lot, the
remainder of the lot could be easily cleaned and be available for customer and employee
parking. As is our normal snow removal procedure, our crew would return the next evening
to haul the piled snow out of the lot area. At that time, the crew could remove snow from
the resident parking row fairly easily since it abuts the curbing along the perimeter of the
parking lot. That snow would then be hauled from the lot, along with the remainder of the
snow.
From a logistics standpoint, the Street Division would need to sign the resident parking row
after a snowfall that there would be no parking from some specific time the next evening
until the area was cleared. During the time of the snow removal of the resident overnight
parking row, cars normally found in that row would need to either park in other areas of the
King Avenue parking lot that had akeady been cleared of snow ox across TH 10 for that
evening.
I will be in attendance at your Monday, October 8, 2007 workshop, should you have any
questions regarding this issue.
C:ADocumenfs and Settings\jmillecALoeal Settings\Tempoxary lntemet FilesAOLK3L~.A10 08 D7 ee memo King Ave pkg bt (3).dw