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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 10/20/2020 - Memorandum From Drew Brooks Re: Update - Curbside Pickup & Outdoor Dining Related To Parking Transfort / Dial-A-Ride 6570 Portner Road Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6620 970.221.6285 - fax fcgov.com MEMORANDUM DATE: October 14, 2020 TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager Caryn Champine, Director – Planning, Development & Transportation Dean Klingner, Deputy Director – Planning, Development & Transportation FROM: Drew Brooks, Director – Transfort & Parking Services SUBJECT: Update – Curbside Pickup & Outdoor Dining Related to Parking At the October 6th, 2020 City Council Meeting there was a request for additional information regarding the ongoing status of parking capacity related to curbside pickup and outdoor dining locations currently occupying parking spaces in the downtown area. Bottomline Curbside pickup locations have been continuously analyzed and reevaluated since their inception May 11th, 2020. Curbside pickup locations may be a greater need for businesses in the winter when outdoor dining may be more difficult due to inclement weather. It is expected that some curbside pickup locations will remain indefinitely, though the final number has yet to be determined. Outdoor dining locations have been extended and will continue while the emergency order is in place. Parking capacity on street and in parking structures is monitored continuously with parking space capacity frequently evaluated to balance the demands of high turnover customers, employees, residents and longer-term visitors. Currently there is ample capacity both on street and in parking structures. Background Due to the State declared emergency stay-at-home order issued March 2020, downtown retail and restaurant businesses were not allowed to serve patrons inside their place of business. To support local business recovery efforts, Parking Services DocuSign Envelope ID: C88CA3DF-1823-4C8E-86C9-BE58C195E64E partnered with the Downtown Developm ent Authority (DDA) to designate parking spaces as curbside pickup locations. The signage for these specific spaces were treated as a right-of-way encroachment, to allow for the “Business as Unusual” graphics used by the DDA, rather than regulatory traffic signs/devices. See exhibit A. Beginning May 11th, Parking staff signed 100 Curbside Pickup spaces around the downtown area, based on identified locations and conversations with vested partners. As the stay-at-home order progressed, dedicated parking spaces were moved, added, and/or removed to support evolving local business needs. Beginning May 29th, the City began installing outdoor dining locations, with several public parking stalls being converted, to support the minimum footprint requirements for restaurant patron distancing. As traffic safety barricades were put in place within public parking stalls for outdoor dining use, many of the prior curbside pickup spaces were removed from these locations. With the State transition to the safer-at-home order, retailers and restaurants began allowing patrons inside their place of business. This transition supported additional rightsizing of curbside pickup locations, with conversations and support of those affected businesses. On September 18th, Parking staff partnered with the DDA to remove 20 Curbside Pickup signs from the downtown area. This removal, along with the ongoing requested changes of locations and quantity of dedicated spaces between May to September, resulted in 61 Curbside Pickup locations currently designated in the downtown area. Additional public outreach, and DDA conversations, are taking place to identify appropriate number and locations to support updating current signage to indicate a designated short-term/curbside space, which would allow regulation per Traffic Code. Modification to current Traffic Code will support intended short-term and frequent use of these designated locations. Current signage only encourages compliance and does not allow Parking staff to hold users accountable for their duration of stay. See exhibit B. DocuSign Envelope ID: C88CA3DF-1823-4C8E-86C9-BE58C195E64E Exhibit A Exhibit B DocuSign Envelope ID: C88CA3DF-1823-4C8E-86C9-BE58C195E64E