HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 08/19/2025 - Memorandum from Vanessa Fenley re Safe Parking Program Update
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Memorandum
Date: August 14, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Jacob Castillo, Chief Sustainability Officer
From: Vanessa Fenley, Housing Manager, Social Sustainability, vfenley@fcgov.com
Subject: Safe Parking Program Update
Bottom Line
Efforts to establish a Safe Parking or “SafeLot” pilot program, administered by Catholic Charities
and Family Housing Network are moving forward. Nonprofit and church partners are planning to
begin outreach to neighbors this month.
General Overview
Safe Parking Programs provide overnight-only parking for folks experiencing vehicular
homelessness. These programs will require a current driver’s license, vehicle
registration, and insurance for all participants.
Proposed sites would have 7-10 parking spaces
City Council approval through an ordinance would be required to temporarily exempt
safe parking sites and users from enforcement of multiple sections of the municipal,
traffic, and land use codes.
There is currently an internal staff team, with reps from Parking Services, City Attorney’s
Office, Social Sustainability, Code Compliance, Police, and Planning & Zoning,
established to help move this project forward to Council when/if the time comes.
While there has been recent interest from multiple partners regarding admistering a
SafeLot Program, the Family Housing Network/Catholic Charities program is the farthest
along in planning.
Family Housing Network & Catholic Charities SafeLot
Docusign Envelope ID: 3D8CC04D-FBBC-410E-9692-4698F72E652C
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Two churches (one in District 5, one in District 1) are interested in hosting a SafeLot and
are prepared to move forward with neighborhood engagement. Marcy Yoder consulted
with each church to develop an engagement strategy that would work well for them.
Each church is planning to host an open house for neighbors. This allows individuals to
come anytime during the timeframe, gain information regarding the project, get
questions answered, and share feedback. Church representatives and service providers
will both be present.
Materials will be developed for the meeting that have neighbors’ score support for the project
before and after the meeting, and they will include a comments box to share their thoughts and
any ongoing concerns. The church in District 5 has addresses for neighbors already and will
send a postcard invitation to an open house. The timeline for engagement and date of open
house is TBD.
The church in District 1 is planning to do knock-and-talks with neighbors to extend the invitation
to an open house. Church leaders are tentatively scheduling knock-and-talk visits starting the
week of August 11, with an open house for congregation members on August 24, and an open
house for neighbors on August 28. Family Housing Network and Catholic Charities would
provide referrals, case management, and other resources to households participating in the
SafeLot Program as well as provide program administration and oversight.
Family Housing Network and Catholic Charities have also created a budget and met
multiple times with church partners to discuss site collaboration, coordination, and
logistics.
Next Steps
Church outreach to neighbors and open houses to gather feedback. Upon completion of
engagement, churches and nonprofit partners will decide whether they want to proceed with the
SafeLot Program based on neighbor input received.
The internal staff team will meet after neighborhood engagement is complete to discuss next
steps and build a comprehensive list of program requirements/expectations and codes needing
to be exempted from enforcement.
Docusign Envelope ID: 3D8CC04D-FBBC-410E-9692-4698F72E652C
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For any lots seeking to move forward, City Council approval through an ordinance would be
required prior to starting program operations to temporarily exempt safe parking sites and users
from enforcement of multiple sections of the municipal, traffic, and land use codes.
CC: Brittany Depew, Lead Homelessness Specialist
Docusign Envelope ID: 3D8CC04D-FBBC-410E-9692-4698F72E652C