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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParking Advisory Board - Minutes - 10/14/2019PARKING ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR Monday, October 14, 2019 5:30 PM 117 N. Mason Street, Fort Collins 10/14/2019 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair, Hill, called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT Nora Hill, Chair Eric Keselburg, Parking Manager Kayla Utter, Vice Chair Drew Brooks, Director of Transit Adam Eggleston Danna Varnell, Business Support Barbara Wilkins Kyle Lambrecht, Civil Engineer BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: PUBLIC PRESENT: Bob Criswell CSU student Travis Anderson OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: 3. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION None 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes approved by Eggleston and second by Utter. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Lambrecht - Revisit the Linden Street Project (see PowerPoint).  17 spaces have been identified to be added. Council Liaison: Ken Summers Chair: Nora Hill Vice Chair: Kayla Utter Staff Liaison: Drew Brooks (970) 221-6386 Administrative Support: Danna Varnell (970) 224-6161 10/14/2019 – MINUTES Page 2  Convert fee structure of the Firehouse Alley Parking Structure during construction to a free first hour and $1.00 for each additional hour.  Project Wayfinding  Implement a Downtown Parking Campaign/Marketing Plan • Eggleston asked if there was still an option to change the parallel parking or if it was a final decision. Lambrecht responded by saying that staff had made that recommendation to the City Manager and that was sent on to City Council for consideration. Eggleston – will bring that up with Council if what I heard was not the right direction that a lot of people are understanding. Lambrecht – this topic will be discussed further tomorrow evening at City Council. • Lambrecht – the last time we met to present the project to you, we received some new information based on the outreach we did and all the Boards and Commissions we visited. Not only did we get new perspective, we got a lot of concerns to Eggleston’s point about the loss of on-street parking. What I want to discuss this evening is the mitigation strategies that we were able to develop since the last time we were here. To summarize our recommendations, we recommended what we call, Alternative A1 (see PowerPoint). Our parallel parking option will allow additional amenity zones that will be used to place bike racks, bistro tables, etc. Urban amenities that are intended to bring folks down to the area and have them stay and shop around. We got to that point through about 75 conversations that we had with commissions and business association meetings. We weighed their feedback, and how alternatives compare to the stated project goals. Eggleston the goals seemed to have changed from the initial stated project goals to now. Lambrecht – The goals have not changed. We have been consistent as we message those goals. What we have provided is clarification as to how the project team is viewing these. With the concerns of the loss of on-street parking, this recommended alternative would permanently remove 30 on-street spaces. We came up with four strategies. Hill – is the intention to do all four strategies? Lambrecht – yes, the intention is to do all four. The first one has been identified to add 17 new spaces during construction. Based on other feedback, we can convert the fee structure at the Firehouse Alley Parking Structure to the first hour free, 10/14/2019 – MINUTES Page 3 then $1.00 for each additional hour, so it completely aligns with the other parking structures in town. This will be done during construction with the intention of trying to gather data as well, so a long-term change could be supported. Project Wayfinding – what we have heard throughout the project that there is some confusion about the Old Town Firehouse Alley parking structure. Some people didn’t even know it was there. We are trying to do some wayfinding as part of the project, and that this was the original mitigation strategy, so let’s let people know about it and show them how to get to Linden and how to get to Walnut, etc. And for the last strategy, the City as whole is going to really look to develop a downtown parking campaign/marketing plan. We are trying to focus on education as parking in Old Town is a challenge anyway. How do you best use it, where are the spaces, what tools do you have available? That is the mitigation strategy. • Brooks – This is part of the 2020 budget process. What we are looking to do is have a full marketing plan around parking. The Parking department is working with Slate to convey the complete marketing plan for parking downtown and in the garages. Videos are being developed on how to use the parking app and how to use the pay stations. This will tie into the wayfinding strategy. • Eggleston – What I have heard, is that this benefits Silver Grill and the businesses along Pine Street but it doesn’t benefit Linden Street businesses. Both of those locations are a walk away from Linden Street. The alleys are nice but asking someone to walk a block and the Exchange being right there, they may not walk down the alley to Linden Street or along Jefferson Street to get to Linden Street. So yes, you will find other spots, but it will not benefit Linden Street. My concern is that you’re still losing parking in front of your business. Hill – I project it will help the Linden Street businesses because when you get to Walnut, you lose motivation to walk across to Linden and I think with beautification, there won’t be nearly as many cars, there will be upscale paving and there will be other great stuff, it will make Linden Street feel more like Old Town Square and draw people over there. Many businesses struggle on that block and many have gone out of business. It’s been a struggling block for a long time. This upgrade will be drawing people to this street. Utter – I also see this 10/14/2019 – MINUTES Page 4 upgrade will draw people into the Linden Street area also. Old Town Square is bright and airy, then you look down Linden Street and it’s dark and it doesn’t have the same feel as Old Town Square. I see this bringing Linden Street into the continuation of Old Town Square and bringing in lots of people. • Wilkins thinks that crime will be a factor on Linden Street as it is at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall and Denver’s 16th Street Mall. Hill – brought up the point that Denver is a much larger city and the 16th Street Mall is very long. More people, more problems. Lambrecht – we hear your concerns about safety. The plans are to make the space very visible. We are taking lighting level readings to see how we can improve lighting. Utter – how many parking spots are currently there? Lambrecht – 58 spaces total. Utter – and there is going to be how many? Lambrecht – 28. how many parking spaces are going to be taken away? Lambrecht – 30 spaces. Eggleston – will there be the same ratio of spaces to handicap spaces? Lambrecht – there are 3 handicap spaces today. Additional handicap space will be available, and we will be putting three spaces back. • Utter to Eggleston - what concerns have you heard about these spaces? Eggleston – I drive an Uber and these conversations have happened with my passengers in the last month. He has heard a lot about the perceived parking in Old Town. Also, there are major corporate companies that own many of the buildings on Linden Street. Will this transition into just corporate businesses and we say goodbye to mom and pop stores? Many of the Uber drivers have told him that fewer people are coming downtown due to lack of parking and taking away parking on Linden would make that worse. Utter – asked if Eggleston tells these concerned people that there are 1500 + parking spaces within a quarter mile radius of downtown and to highlight that lack of parking might be more perception than reality. Eggleston – has said that there is always available parking at Firehouse Alley Parking Garage, but it’s still perceived that there is not enough parking in Old Town. Hill – believes there will always be that perception. Utter – we are also not charging for our most convenient spaces like every other city is. Keselburg – we are trying to change this perception and will be implementing a Downtown 10/14/2019 – MINUTES Page 5 Parking Campaign/Marketing Plan. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Review 2019 Work Plan Calendar b. Discuss 2020 Work Plans – a draft was created, and it was sent to all Board members.  Updated 2020 Work Plan Calendar c. Review PAB term dates  Nora Hill – term date December 2019 d. Review Council Priority timeline – Proposed Reimagined Boards and Commission e. Q3 2020 – Implement • Stand up new Boards 7. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS NONE 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. Hill is requesting that the Parking Pay Stations give change. Brooks – most of the vendors no longer support a change machine. Most cities have moved away from cash all together. Hill – can the City install a stand-alone change machine? Keselburg – will investigate the stand-alone change machine, one at each parking garage. NONE 9. ADJOURNMENT a. The meeting was moved to be adjourned by Utter and second by Hill at 6:41 pm. 1 Linden Street Renovation Project Project Mitigation Summary October 14, 2019 Alternative A-1 – Festive Street 2 Mitigation Summary • Add additional on-street parking near the project • 17 new spaces identified • Convert the fee structure of the Firehouse Alley Parking Structure during construction • Free first hour, $1.00 for each additional hour • Project Wayfinding • Implement a Downtown Parking Campaign/Marketing Plan 3 Additional On-Street Parking 4 Pine Street 5 Existing Spaces – 42 Proposed Spaces – 57 New Spaces - 15 Jefferson Surface Lot 6 Existing Spaces – 57 Proposed Spaces – 59 New Spaces - 2 Net Gain with FAPS 7 Added Removed Total Alternative A-1 & FAPS 216 -30 186 https://www.fcgov.com/parking/downtown Structure Spaces Cost Dist. To Linden FAPS 216 $1.00/hr, 1st hr free* 400 ft OTPS 324 $1.00/hr, 1st hr free 900 ft CCPS 900 $1.00/hr, 1st hr free 1100 ft Jefferson Lot 53 Free 800 ft * Pricing model adjusted for duration of construction Thank you & Questions 8