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CC 2017-08-22_12d Short Term Parking in the Village MEMORANDUM TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: TERESA McCLISH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BY: MATTHEW DOWNING, PLANNING MANAGER SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF SHORT-TERM PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN THE VILLAGE (STAFF PROJECT 17-007) DATE: AUGUST 22, 2017 RECOMMENDATION: The Downtown Parking Advisory Board recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution amending parking restrictions in the Village to: 1) designate two on-street spaces in both the westbound and eastbound directions of Branch Street for 20-minute parking; 2) maintain 2-hour parking restrictions on East and West Branch Street; 3) limit parking on Olohan Alley along the creek from Bridge Street to the Olohan Alley extension, the Car Corral, and the southernmost row of the Le Point Street parking lot to 3-hour parking; and 4) direct staff to investigate options and/or sources of funding for parking enforcement. SUMMARY OF ACTION: Although no studies have been completed, there has been an increase in complaints of short-term parking spaces being utilized for long-term parking in the Village. Shorter time limits are a method of ensuring prime parking spaces turnover and are available for customers. IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES: Impacts to financial and personnel resources associated with the changing time limits include a one-time materials cost to replace Village parking signs as necessary and costs for Public Works personnel to replace the necessary parking signs estimated at approximately $500, which will be paid for from the Downtown Parking Fund. The impacts associated with increased enforcement will vary depending on a number of factors, including frequency of enforcement, personnel assigned to enforcement, and prioritization of enforcement. Preliminary discussions between the Police and Community Development Departments have attempted to minimize impacts to financial and personnel resources. However, these discussions are preliminary and ongoing. This item is identified in the recently adopted City Council Goals, both with regard to enhancing parking and supporting economic development. Item 12.d. - Page 1 CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF SHORT-TERM PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN THE VILLAGE (STAFF PROJECT 17-007) AUGUST 22, 2017 PAGE 2 BACKGROUND: Over the last few years, the City has received complaints from a number of Village businesses regarding an increase in Village employees parking in prime parking spaces near other businesses that rely on the parking turnover. The Downtown Parking Advisory Board (DPAB) has made several attempts to have Village businesses work together to address the issue surrounding employee parking, such as encouraging employees to park away from the Village Core or in the upper portion of the Le Point Street parking lot. On April 20, 2016, the DPAB conducted a workshop style meeting to discuss the parking challenges experienced by Village merchants and to further identify solutions. However, a resolution to the issue was not successful and on July 20, 2017, the DPAB recommended the City Council implement restricted time limitations on parking in the Village. ANALYSIS OF ISSUES: Parking is an important component in many land use decisions. It affects trip generation, mode choice, urban design and form, economic viability, and personal mobility. In an automobile dependent state, region, and county, the character, competitive capability, and commercial convenience of the Village is largely determined by the quantity and quality of parking availability for both short-term uses, such as customers, and long-term uses, such as employees. Parking Restrictions One general objective of regulating parking time limits is to balance the need and availability for both customer and employee parking. Most cities, including Arroyo Grande, try to manage on-street parking in front of businesses as the most convenient source for short-term customer parking while providing for longer-term parking elsewhere on perimeter or side public streets and public parking lots. The DPAB has recommended that two (2) spaces on Branch Street in both the west and eastbound directions (four (4) spaces total) be limited to twenty (20) minute parking, in order to allow for quick patron stops into nearby businesses. It is recommended that these spaces be reserved in front of the Car Corral for westbound traffic and in front of 138 E. Branch Street for eastbound traffic. These are recommended due to being at the ends of the rows of parking and generally being in the center of the Village Core, allowing patrons access to Village businesses. The remainder of parking on Branch Street would remain 2-hour. The DPAB also recommended the parking in the Car Corral, parking on Olohan Alley between Bridge Street and the Olohan Alley Extension, and the first row of parking at the Le Point Street parking lot be limited to 3-hour parking. Currently, these areas are available for all day parking and the DPAB has identified that these restrictions would be long enough to allow for patronage of nearby restaurants and hairdressers but short enough to not be frequently taken by long term parkers. It should be noted that four (4) of the eight (8) parking spaces in the first tier of the Le Point Street parking lot are ADA Item 12.d. - Page 2 CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF SHORT-TERM PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN THE VILLAGE (STAFF PROJECT 17-007) AUGUST 22, 2017 PAGE 3 reserved spaces, which would not be subject to the time limitations. This would result in 173 spaces being available for employee usage by approximately seventy (70) businesses, before employees will need to locate on surface streets outside of the Village Core. Parking Enforcement The DPAB has recognized that even if parking limitations are reduced, enforcement of the reduced duration is a key component to ensuring compliance. Village parking enforcement has typically been handled by Police Department personnel, most recently by Neighborhood Services Technicians (NSTs). Recent increased workload of NSTs has resulted in very little time available to conduct parking enforcement in the Village. Additionally, as has been voiced by a number of Village merchants, parking enforcement, unless performed daily, needs to be conducted on an irregular schedule, as offenders will learn the enforcement schedule and work around the rules. In order to address the enforcement component of restricted parking limits, the Police Chief has identified the following options to better enforce parking time limits:  Hiring of an additional, dedicated, part-time parking enforcement officer;  Transfer work currently performed by NSTs to incoming Police Cadets to allow for NSTs to perform parking enforcement; or  Reduce or eliminate services offered by the Police Department to allow for additional enforcement. It should be noted that these ideas are preliminary and will require additional research by staff for a recommendation if the Council directs staff to do so. The Council could alternately direct staff to discontinue researching parking enforcement strategies at this time. It should be further noted that reductions to Police Department services are not recommended and would only be considered as a last resort if the Council directs increased parking enforcement occur. ALTERNATIVES: The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration: 1. Adopt the attached Resolution to limit parking in the Village as recommended by the Downtown Parking Advisory Board and provide direction to staff regarding options for parking enforcement; 2. Modify and adopt the attached Resolution to limit parking in the Village as recommended by the Downtown Parking Advisory Board and provide direction to staff regarding options for parking enforcement; 3. Do not adopt the attached Resolution and direct staff to continue working with Village merchants to address the parking issues; or 4. Provide other direction to staff. Item 12.d. - Page 3 CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF SHORT-TERM PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN THE VILLAGE (STAFF PROJECT 17-007) AUGUST 22, 2017 PAGE 4 ADVANTAGES: The recommendations will be a step toward ensuring local and visiting customers have access to parking spaces closest to their destinations. DISADVANTAGES: The change in parking restrictions will result in the need for time to change behaviors in the Village with regard to parking, is anticipated to result in Village employees being required to park on surface streets outside of the Village Core, and may result in tourists and customers receiving parking citations, which would negatively impact their experience. In addition, in order for parking restrictions to be effective, additional parking enforcement may be necessary. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: No environmental review is required for this item. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS: The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2. A notice of the meeting was sent to all businesses contributing to the Downtown Parking Fund. At the time of report publication, no further comments had been received. Item 12.d. - Page 4 RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE IMPOSING A TWENTY MINUTE LIMITATION ON PARKING FOR FOUR SPACES ON EAST BRANCH STREET, AND THREE HOUR LIMITATIONS ON PARKING ALONG EAST BRANCH STREET, IN THE CAR CORRAL, ALONG A PORTION OF OLOHAN ALLEY, AND A PORTION OF THE LE POINT STREET PARKING LOT WHEREAS, Chapter 10.16 of the Arroyo Grande Municipal Code regulates parking of vehicles on City streets and municipal parking lots; and WHEREAS, on June 24, 2008, the City Council adopted an ordinance to allow the Council to adopt parking restrictions on any street or in any municipal parking lot by resolution; and WHEREAS, on September 10, 2013, the City Council amended parking restrictions in the Village to eliminate 2-hour parking restrictions on Sundays and replace the overnight parking prohibition in public parking lots in the Village with a 12-hour parking restriction; and WHEREAS, on July 20, 2017, the Downtown Parking Advisory Board recommended the City Council further amend parking restrictions in the Village to address the issue of business employees parking in prime parking spaces. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Arroyo Grande does hereby direct staff to restrict two (2) spaces in both the west and eastbound directions of East Branch Street to 20 minutes and limit parking in the Car Corral, Olohan Alley between Bridge Street and the Olohan Alley Extension, and the first tier of the Le Point Street Parking lot to 3-hours, as shown in Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference. Staff is also directed to designate the parking restrictions with appropriate signage and/or markers. On motion by Council Member seconded by Council Member and by the following roll call vote, to wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted this 22nd day of August, 2017. Item 12.d. - Page 5 RESOLUTION NO. PAGE 2 ______________________________________ JIM HILL, MAYOR ATTEST: KELLY WETMORE, CITY CLERK APPROVED AS TO CONTENT: ______________________________________ JAMES A. BERGMAN, CITY MANAGER APPROVED AS TO FORM: ______________________________________ HEATHER K. WHITHAM, CITY ATTORNEY Item 12.d. - Page 6 NEVADA STNEVADA STSHORT STSHORT STE BRANCH STE BRANCH ST OLOHAN ALLEYOLOHAN ALLEY CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE CITY COUNCIL AUG. 22, 2017 PROPOSED 3 HOUR PARKING PROPOSED 20 MINUTE PAKING 0 100 20050 FEETµ ~173 REMAINING ALL DAY PARKING SPACESEXHIBIT A Item 12.d. - Page 7 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Item 12.d. - Page 8