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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 339-08City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE:AUGUST 4, 2008 CMR 339:08 SUBJECT:UPDATE ON COLLEGE TERRACE RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM This is an informational report and no Council action is required. BACKGROUND The College Terrace neighborhood, located adjacent to Stanford University and Stanford Research Park, has historically been affected by large amounts of non-neighborhood traffic and parking. Residents continue to suffer from a longstanding and growing problem with daytime and night time parking of students and employees of the university and other nearby employers who regularly park on neighborhood streets to avoid the cost of parking permits or for convenience. As a condition of approval for Stanford’s 2000 General Use Permit, $100,000 was provided to the City to support a Residential Parking Permit Program in the College Terrace neighborhood. On July 30, 2007, a Colleagues Memorandum from Mayor Kishimoto and Council Members Beecham and Drelcrneier recommended Council direct and authorize staff to retain outside expertise using the $100,000 from Stanford University to initiate an assessment of a residential parking permit program in College Terrace and report back to Council in one year with a status report. The direction to staff was to develop a residential permit program in College Terrace that would likely be implemented only in portions of the neighborhood. The assessment would include two outreach meetings in the community to conceptually design a potential program and a survey of all households to ascertain support. The assessment would need to provide information to Council and residents on the potential staffing requirements, cost, and fee structure for the program. The program would also have to be revenue neutral to the General Fund. DISCUSSION In January 2008, staff retained the services of transportation consultants, Kimley Horn and Associates, to initiate and develop a Residential Parking Permit Program in College Terrace. A Project Advisory Committee (PAC) consisting of eight College Terrace residents, appointed by the College Terrace Residents Association Board, stafffrom Transportation, Police, Revenue CMR:339:08 Page 1 of 4 Collections Department, and the consultants was formed to work on the development of the residential parking program. In early March 2008, a parking occupancy survey was conducted in the neighborhood during mid-day and evening periods in order to document baseline parking demand in the neighborhood and to help establish how much of the neighborhood should be included in the program. The first neighborhood meeting was held on March 19, 2008. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce and discuss the Residential Parking Permit Program and to provide an opportunity for residents to share their observations and concerns with members of the City staff and the consultants. Approximately 35 people attended this meeting. Many residents provided input on the perceived locations of the parking problems, and the time of day these problems occurred. City staff and consultants have had several meetings with the PAC so far, and as a result, four options for a residential parking permit program were discussed and recommended for further study. The following narrative details the specifics of each option: Only vehicles displaying a resident permit, guest permit, or day permits are permitted to use on-street parking, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm. Vehicles not displaying a permit during these specified time periods may be cited by the Police Department. Vehicles displaying a resident permit, guest permit, or day permit are permitted to use on- street parking, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. In addition, all vehicles not displaying a permit may park up to two (2) hours during these specified time periods. Vehicles not displaying a permit during these specified time periods and exceeding the two hour maximum parking allowance may be cited by the Police Department. Only vehicles displaying a resident permit, guest permit, or day permit are permitted to use on-street parking, all seven days of the week (Monday through Sunday) between 8 am to 5 pm. Vehicles not displaying a permit during these specified time periods may be cited by the Police Department. Only vehicles displaying a resident permit, guest permit, or day permit are permitted to use on-street parking, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 10 pm. Vehicles not displaying a permit during these specified time periods may be cited by the Police Department. Members of the PAC have recommended Option 2 - Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm (with 2-hour parking) as their preferred option for recommendation to present at the next neighborhood meeting. The PAC feels that this option will address the majority of the neighborhood concerns and also allows flexibility for visitors in the neighborhood to be able to CMR:339:08 Page 2 of 4 park at leisure within the two-hour time frame. Staff supports Option 2 as the preferred option as well. On July 17, 2008, staff met with the College Terrace Resident’s Association Board. All four residential parldng permit program options were presented and staff discussed the next steps involved in the development of the residential parldng permit program. The College Terrace Board has expressed their support of the preferred plan (Option 2) from the PAC. The members were also all in support of the direction City staff is taking for further development of this program. While the College Terrace Residents Association Board has expressed support, there is a considerable amount of difference of opinion from residents in the area. Staff will have more information as the program proceeds further. The final report will detail the recommendations and cost estimates for each option as well as recommended program procedures and guidelines, boundaries of the College Terrace program, system for adjusting the boundaries over time, staffing requirements needed for the program, start up and operational costs, cost recovery plan, permit types for residents and visitors, enforcement hours and methods, permit fees and neighborhood signage. The program will also include proposed program elements and anticipated program rules and procedures. The next steps in this process will be to set up the second neighborhood meeting for late summer. The purpose of this meeting will be to present the draft program to the neighborhood, obtain additional comments and determine if minor adjustments are needed before it is finalized. Shortly after the meeting, staff will prepare a neighborhood survey that will be sent to all households to ascertain the level of support and to determine the number of interested households who would like to participate in the Residential Parking Permit Program. The survey will include a description of the parking problem, the recommended coverage area, proposed program elements, anticipated program rules and procedures and estimated costs. Staff will then analyze the results of the survey on a block by block basis to determine street segments that support this program. ~ Staff anticipates presenting the final recommendations of this program including scope, costs, level of neighborhood support, program rules and procedures, and implementation timeline to the Council in late fall. P OLICY IMPLICATIONS The implementation of a Residential Parking Permit program is consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan T-47: "Utilize engineering, enforcement, and educational tools to improve traffic safety on City roadways." ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This is an information item and no environmental review is required. CMR:339:08 Page 3 of 4 PREPARED BY: SHAHLA ~’ Engineer DEPARTMENT HEAD: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CURTIS WILLIAMS Interim Director of Planning and Community Environment COURTESY COPIES College Terrace Residents Association Board College Terrace PAC Members CMR:339:08 Page 4 of 4