HomeMy WebLinkAbout0588.093.~sta
November 10 1 1993
fHE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
Attention: Policy and services committee
o aaraq.
Members of the Council:
Report ip Brief
During the discuBsion concerning city parking lets P and R at the
meeting of october 25, 1993, Council directed staff to evaluate the
security needs and other possible measures to impro·.re 'Utilization
of the 0 Garage and refer the matter to the policy and Services
committee.
While staff
discuss tons
update the.
ccnsidered.
is required
l..cJtqroun4
has begun the evaluation process, due to the upcominq
on downtown parking, staff felt it was important to
Council on the progress of measures that are· being
This is an informational report and no Council action
at this time.
Information regarding the under-utilization of Q Garage was raised
during the discussion at the City Council meeting of OCtober 25~
1993 reqardinq proposed changes in parking Lots P and R~
Specifically, concernS 'Were expressed that people felt unsafe
parking in Q Garage, dlJe to problems associated \llith transients
sleeping in the garage and damage to vehicles.
As a result, Council directed s~aff to assess security needs, other
possible measures and associat~d funding anechanisms t!".21t "W'ould
improve utilization of Q Garage.
Prior to providing an update of some issues staff is reviewing, a
brief summary of activities related to Q Garage that have already
been accomplished may be useful~
After receivin9 complaints about people sleeping in the Q Garage
last winter, representatives of the Real Estate Division and Public
Works and Police Departments began working on problem resolutions.
A meeting was held ~ith homeowners vho live a~ve the garage about
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their concerns. siqns "'ere posted that prohibited tr.espassinq.
Tha signs qave police officers ~uthority to take enforcement action
when transients were found sleeping inside. AdditioTlal police
patrols during nighttime hours 'Were implemcmted. Public Works
staff relloved qraffiti, steam cleaned portions of the garage,
installed chain link fencing at the base of the two stairways and
a small i5;lcove to prevent per>ple from sleeping in those areas,
repaired doors and re~laced burned out lights.
These actions, toqether with the warmer weather during the spring
and summer months, helped to reduce the number of sleepers and
&ssociated problems.
fUture Ad~itional Measyr ••
Since the octobe~ 25 Council meeting. staff has be~~ assessing
additional ~eaSures that may be implemented to enhance the security
of the Q GarAge~ These measure5 include the follo~in9!
Security Guards
The idea of hiring private &ecu-rity to patrol the garal:;!e,
possibly between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. vhen
the majority of problems have occurred, is being reviewed.
Preliminary cost estimates for this se~vice range from about
$21,000 a year for hourly mobile security patrol to
approximately $53.000 a year for on-site foot patrol. Once a
funding mechanism is determined, this measure could te
implemented very soon. This approach has worked successfully
in nearby private garages.
Lighting
utilities staff has taken a preliminary asseS!lment of the.
current lighting conditions at Q Garage and determined that
there is inadequate lighting ~t the entrance to the garage,
inside the stair~ells and in the area near the elevator. The
lighting conditions could be improved by installing additional
light fixtures in these areas and replacing the fluorescent
liqht fixtures in the stairwells with more efficient hiqh
pressure sodium light fixtures. staff estimatas that initial
costs for these changes would be about $10,000.
Cleaning/Painting
Another way to assist in ~aKing the garoge brighter and more
user friendly would be to steam clean and paint the ~alls and
ceiling an off-white or similar color~ The repainting of the
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current space: markings and columns .. ould also enhance the
appearance of the qaraqe. Staff estimates that the associated
costs for the steam cleaning i5nd painting would be about
$30,000. These costs were est.imated based upon the hudqet
prepared for the current Capital ItnprOvell".ent project bud.get
that covers si!llilar r.eas:ures to be taf.£'!"1 'With the Civic Cer:ter
garage. The Civic C~nter project is scheduled to be cOlr,pleted
next &ummer~ If council dete~ine9 that this measure is a
viable one, staff will review the possibility of combinin9 the.
two projects in an attempt to reduce the costs for Q Garage
~ctivities and return to Co~ncil with that recomrnend~tion, if
the initial ana.lysis prove.s to be accur:!!te~ Initial cost
estimate totals for-these three l'lloeasures range fro~ $61,000 to
$9J,OO~. staff has yet to determine possible fundinq sources
tor this project.
webst.r-eOYp4r Gar.g.
While the assignment given to staff pertained to assecsing secwrity
needs for Q Garage, Que to the number of compl~int5 and incidents
of vanaali!ur:., auto burglaries, skateboarders .!lind similar
aituations, staff will also examine the possibility and costs of
obtaining private. security for Webster-Cowper Garage as well~
Conclusion
staff has begun to evaluate the security needs and other measures
that would improve the security of Q Garage. Staff will return to
the policy and Services Committee \filth specific reconunendatior.s and
Ztore accurate costs and funding mechanisms in the very nea.r future.
Respectfully ~itted,
I" '&' I '
(i/, <' (' --:--'11\ 1,-'., , "'''-''"
LYNNE JOHNSON
Assistant Police Chief
~-
Marvin Oven.'ay
Chief Transportation Official
cc~ Palo Alto Chamber of Co~erce
Arbitare Ho~eowners' Association
c/o Patricia E. Forrest, CPM. RPA
Jones , Forrest, Inc.
2010 The Alameda, First Floor
San Jose, CA 95129
CKR:5ee:93
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