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HomeMy WebLinkAbouttecm_030894TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE UKIAH CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS MARCH 8, 1994 5:30 P.M. MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT Fernandez, William Ford, Stephen Chairman Steve Turner STAFF PRESENT Beard, Bill Budrow, Ken Kathy Kinch Recording Secretary STAFF ABSENT Harris, Michael Kennedy, Rick OTHER PRESENT Larry Nelson The Traffic Engineering Committee meeting was called to order by Chairman Turner at 5:30 P.M. Roll was taken with the results listed above. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ken Budrow made the following correction on Page 2, Paragraph 9, add the words without prejudice, the sentence to read: "ON A MOTION by Beard, seconded by Fernandez, it was carried by a consensus vote, the Traffic Engineering Committee deny without prejudice the request to revise three (3) 90 minute on-street parking spaces..." Chairman Turner made the following correction on Page 3, Paragraph 3, add the words series of, and the sentence Staff will proceed with the installation of "No Parking' signs on the north MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MARCH 8, 1994 1 side of Low Gan between Bush and Despina, the paragraph to read: "Ken Budrow advised the red curb on the north side on Low Gap between Bush and Despina is badly faded. The committee discussed installing a series of "No Parking" signs within this azea versus repainting the red curb due to cost and maintenance. Staff will proceed with the installation of "No Parking" signs on the north side of Low Gap between Bush and Despina." ON A MOTION by Beazd, seconded by Fernandez, it was carried by a consensus vote to approve the Traffic Engineering Committee minutes of February 8, 1994, as amended. Abstain: Steve Ford. Absent: Michael Harris and Rick Kennedy. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS a. Presentation of Proposed Downtown Parkine Program Chairman Turner introduced Larry DeKnoblough, Redevelopment Coordinator. Larry DeKnoblough, Redevelopment Coordinator, introduced the Downtown Parking Improvement Program is proposed in response to the Downtown Master Plan to address pazking issues in quantity and quality. He is asking for comments or suggestions from the Committee. He stated there is an excess of 1,400 parking spaces in the downtown azea. The Downtown Revitalization Plan identified the most efficient and cost effective way to provide adequate parking is to maximize utilization of existing resources. EMPLOYEE PARKING: The City of Ukiah and Ukiah Redevelopment Agency shall identify and designate specific locations to provide for long-term parking for all employees working within the Downtown District as well as citizens called to jury duty. The downtown should be divided into north and south sectors with Church Street as the dividing boundary. Employees north of Church Street would be assigned to Municipal Facilities C and D which currently provides 165 spaces with a planned expansion to at least 200 spaces. Employees south of Church Street will be assigned to Municipal Facility A which provides a total of 129 spaces. INCENTIVES AND ENFORCEMENT FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING: Implementation of the employee pazking program will be accomplished through mandatory employee parking permits of $15.00 per month for two years, required of businesses and employees where on-site parking is not available. To assure compliance, the fine schedule will be set on an escalating scale based on an increasing number of citation within a 12-month period. TIME ZONES: The Downtown Master Plan identified the need for reduced parking times along School Street to meet the specific needs of businesses and create high turnover of resources. Staff is proposing the entire Parking District allow athree-hour parking time limit with the exception of four to six 24-minute spaces per block along School Street, between Clay and Smith Streets. These 24-minute zones would be established on both sides of School Street. METERED PARKING: Metered parking on-street would be eliminated through the District and MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MARCH S, 1994 z the 116 meters removed. This is intended to enhance the aesthetic value of our streetscape improvements, reduce parking enforcement administration costs, and assist in A.D.A. compliance. PARKING FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS: Currently in the planning stage is the addition of anew lot located between Oak and School Street at Clay Street. This lot will be for general public use and serve the Plaza and Conference Center. Additional public use lots will be located at Lot B and the current lots E and F. All public use lots will be metered. Parking facility improvements include landscaping and aesthetic improvements to existing facilities, and the acquisition and the eventual construction of new facilities. Improvements to existing facilities will be accomplished through the streetscape improvement program and will include low intensity decorative security lights, enhanced pedestrian walkways, perimeter landscaping and interior tree planters. PUBLIC AWARENESS: City lots are currently identified by signage, however, landscape improvements should provide spot lighting of those signs along with security lighting throughout the lots. Informational flyers, including maps and type of parking available, should be developed and distributed throughout downtown business and as inserts in local publications. A special complimentary one-day permit should be made available to jurors to promote a positive experience to regional residents and to encourage them to shop and eat in the downtown while here on jury duty. Staff is also proposing the establishment of in-lieu parking fees within the Parking District. The purpose of these fees would be to allow property owners in possession of parcels too small to support development with on-site parking to "purchase" off-site spaces. Parking development, implementation, and administration of the Parking District will be the responsibility of the Redevelopment Agency in the course of carrying out the responsibilities of the Downtown Master Plan. Enforcement will still be the responsibility of Public Safety. The Redevelopment Agency will coordinate with the Traffic Engineering Committee in parking issues which will result in impacts to traffic circulation. FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS: Currently being proposed for the Conference Center and Plaza is a parking expansion which will combine the two existing lots located on Oak and Stephenson, the vacant lot along Clay Street, and the property at 351 Oak Street. The Master Plan calls for close monitoring of parking demand, and development of resources in response to increases in that demand. The adoption of this program will ensure greater availability of both on- and off-street pazking resources and provide the foundation to meet any increasing demands in accordance with the Downtown Master Plan. Steve Ford expressed he is against reserved parking versus public use parking. MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MARCH 8, 1994 3 Bill Beard suggested Program terms such as "all of Henry Street, Oak Street and all other areas between Oak and Pine" should indicate what streets are within the Pazking District. He asked if Lot B will be permit or metered parking. He advised Lot B currently is two-hour free parking. Larry DeKnoblough advised in the purchase agreement the lot will remain use time limit pazking until 1997. Staff is currently discussing if the lot will be designated meter or open for public use. Bill Beard advised time limit in the downtown area was changed from two hours to 90-minutes basically due to the demand for employee parking in the downtown azea. The 90-minutes zone was put into effect because an agreement or a compromise could not be reached with County employees and private business employees on discount parking in the lots, therefore, as a result the time frame was reduced to 90-minutes. He also expressed three hour time limit in the downtown azea is not feasible. Employees paying for permit parking may be a big problem. Chairman Turner suggested three hour parking versus mandatory parking permit will be difficult. He would like to see MTA bus commuters exempt from buying a parking permit because they are not utilizing parking spaces; a small number of parking spaces reserved for public use in lots primarily reserved with parking permits; concern for handicap access in the downtown area; loading zones spaces; creating an updated map of all parking areas; and bicycle components in the downtown parking. Chairman Turner inquired if the Redevelopment Agency is relieving the Traffic Engineering Committee of the obligation/responsibility of the downtown parking. Larry DeKnoblough responded administration of parking would be the responsibility of the Redevelopment Agency and Public Safety. This allows for a more immediate and more expedient response to business needs. Any changes to on-street parking and traffic circulation will be brought forwazd to the Traffic Engineering Committee. The Redevelopment Agency is working with allocations and time zone spaces for expedient means of implementation. Bill Beard recommended the Redevelopment Agency remove all on-street parking on State Street in the downtown parking district. Larry DeKnoblough responded there is discussion in the Downtown Master Plan to remove all on-street parking and create atwo-way turn lane on State Street and review parking needs. Discussion followed regarding long-term employee permits; Lots C and D will be utilized by County and Bank employees; will negotiate with the Post Office employees regazding parking permits; the program will go before the Downtown Master Plan Committee, to the Redevelopment Agency, and City Council; short-term parking for faster turnover; bicycle parking and circulation; and streetscape. Larry DeKnoblough noted the proposal will be presented to the City Council by an amendment to the existing ordinance. MWUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MARCH S, 1994 4 ON A MOTION by Beard, seconded by Budrow, it was carried by a consensus vote, the Traffic Engineering Committee recommend favorably that the City Council consider delegation of pazking within the downtown pazking area be placed with the Redevelopment Agency, and consider the recommendations made by the Traffic Engineering Committee for review by the Downtown Master Plan Parking Committee with their submittal to the City Council. b. Reconsider Request to Revise Three (31 90 Minute On-Street Parking S acp es to 24 Minute Limited Parking along West Side of School Street just South of Standley Street Chairman Turner introduced Lazry DeKnoblough, Redevelopment Coordinator. Larry DeKnoblough advised this item requires a resolution establishing the 24 minute zone. Three parking spaces will be located at the south west comer Standley and School Street, and three at the north east corner of Perkins and School Streets. ON A MOTION by Budrow, seconded by Beard, it was carried by a consensus vote, the Traffic Engineering Committee recommends the request to revise three 90 minutes on-street parking spaces to 24 minute limited parking along west side of School Street just south of Standley Street be approved by the City Council. c. Request for "No Parking Zone" along Frontage of 953 and 955 North State Street Larry Nelson of Nelson Auto Glass Service (Lessee) Chairman Turner introduced Larry Nelson, Nelson Glass. Larry Nelson, Nelson Glass, 953 North State Street, is requesting a red curb along the frontage of 953 and 955 North State Street due vehicles and delivery trucks pazking along the curb on State Street creating inadequate site distance visibility of south bound traffic when exiting onto State Street. There are currently four businesses within the complex and traffic entering and exiting the driveway has increased. There is adequate on-site parking for all businesses. 953 and 955 North State Street are one parcel. The parcels for the Goodwill, E.T.'s and 953 and 955 North State are owned by the same property owner and has no objection to the red curb. Larry Nelson submitted pictures of vehicles parked on State Street located in front of 953 North State Street. Ken Budrow inquired if the business at 955 North State was informed of [he request for the red curb. Mr. Nelson responded 955 North State is E.T.'s Variety and are in complete agreement for the red curb. The business also has adequate on-site parking. Bill Beard inquired if there would be an objection to red curb from the south property line of 953 North State Street to the north property line which will include the entire frontage of the Whiskey John's and E.T.'s Variety. Larry Nelson responded no. MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MARCH 8, 1994 5 Discussion followed regarding there currently is a red curb along the frontage of the fairgrounds; there is a curb cut for street north side of Whiskey John's; there is a crosswalk located in front of Goodwill and the north side of Magnolia. ON A MOTION by Budrow, seconded by Ford, it was carried by a consensus vote, to approve the request to red curb along the frontage of 953 and 955 North State Street from the south boundary line north to join the existing red curb located in front of Fairgrounds based on safety issue for vehicles entering and exiting the businesses within this area, and eliminate on-street parking. Chairman Turner inquired if this item requires a recommendation to the City Council due to the removal of on-street parking. Bill Beard responded no. Ken Budrow noted to red curb this area is a safety issue for vehicles exiting the driveway of 953 North State Street, E.T.'s and Goodwill, and Whiskey's John. Non-safety issue would be approximately 30 feet that borders the parking lot from E.T.'s. d. Hiehlights of Brown Ac[ Bill Beard distributed and reported on the 1993 Brown Ac[ Amendments from Gibbons, Lees & Edrington furnished to the City's insurance carrier, REMIF. The amendments discusses changes to the Brown Act. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS Steve Ford inquired who makes recommendations to the City Council on circulation and traffic. Bill Beard responded the Planning Commission. Steve Ford advised items relating to traffic and circulation should go before the Traffic Engineer Committee for review and recommendation to the City Council. Bill Beard advised noticing requirements for EIR documents is a minimum of 21 days and may be more for comments. The Traffic Engineering Committee meets once a month, therefore, documents to the Committee for review within that time frame can be difficult. MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMM(ITEE MARCH S, 1994 6 Chairman Turner agreed the Traffic Engineering Committee should be involved in the review and recommendation of traffic and circulation to the City Council. Traffic has been a major issue in the last two to three major development proposals and are real issues in the long-term development. The Committee should have involvement in the process of major developments relating to traffic. He also advised he is concerned with the proposal for removal of pedestrian access along Orchard Avenue to accommodate traffic generated by the K-Mart development. AD.TOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:50 p. m. Steve Turner, Chairman ~ ~ ~~, ~~ ~ Kathy I inch, Reco>dIMIg Secre ry B:1\TEC M030894 MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MARCH 8, 1994 7