ABSTRACT: On the City’s website appears PARKING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION, including Downtown Paid Parking Program, Public Notice and Agenda. The PARKING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION materials are reproduced. The Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, January 27th at the City Hall Council Chambers at 5:00 P.M. The “purpose” of the Workshop “will be to discuss the development of the paid parking program and to receive public input.” QUESTIONS & ANSWERS about the Parking Committee, whose members will present information to the public and solicit public feedback, are presented.
PARKING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
Downtown Paid Parking Program
Traffic in the City of Carmel is unique in that it experiences heavy peak periods during weekends and over the summer when there are a high number of tourists. Many of the visitors can be considered short-term or "day visitors", who travel by car from other bay areas to Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula for the day. This "day visitor" phenomenon often places a burden on Carmel's circulation and parking facilities, particularly in the downtown area.
In an effort to improve parking, traffic and circulation the City is considering the development of a paid parking program in the downtown. Cities across the country have used paid parking as an effective management tool. Some of the benefits of paid parking include:
• An increase in the availability of convenient downtown parking for visitors and residents
• Allow visitors and residents to stay as long as they wish without fear of receiving a parking citation
• An increase in City revenues that can be invested into the community
The City will be conducting a public workshop on Thursday, January 27th at the City Hall Council Chambers located on the east side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and 7th Avenue. The workshop will begin at 5:00 pm and the purpose will be to discuss the development of the paid parking program and to receive public input. A copy of the Public Notice and draft Agenda are available by clicking here.
Public Notice Agenda
Comments and/or suggestions regarding paid parking may be submitted by email to paidparking@ci.carmel.ca.us
You may also contact the Department of Coummunity Planning and Building at 831-620-2010 during normal business hours.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Downtown Paid Parking Program Workshop
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea will be conducting a public workshop on Thursday, January 27th at the City Hall Council Chambers located on the east side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and Seventh avenues. The workshop will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Policy P2-25 of the General Plan encourages the City to evaluate a paid parking program for the downtown. The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the development of a paid parking program and to receive public input on the issue. The workshop will include a discussion on the following topics:
• Program goals
• Program approach
• Paid parking technology
• Employee and resident parking
• Community character
For more information, and/or to pick up a copy of the agenda for the meeting, please call (831)620-2010, visit the Department of Community Planning and Building located at City Hall, or log on to www.ci.carmel.ca.us, then click on “Government” and then “Parking Management.”
Carmel Paid Parking Program Workshop
Public Workshop
27 January 2011
5:00 p.m.
Draft AGENDA:
1. Introductions/Overview
2. Staff Presentation
-Program Goals
-Program Approach
-Paid Parking Technology
-Employee & Resident Parking
3. Group Discussion
a. Free form discussion
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS about Parking Committee:
At the “informational workshop,” the Parking Committee will present information to the public and solicit feedback, according to Interim-Chief Mike Calhoun. Thus, the following questions were emailed to the City with the following answers from Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk Heidi Burch.
1. What are the names of the members of the Parking Committee?
Mike Calhoun, Lisa Panetta, Sean Conroy and Rich Guillen
2. When was the Parking Committee formally established or formed?
It was not formally established. It is a staff working group that began meeting in 2010 in response to discussions in Council budget meetings.
3. What is the mission or charge of the Parking Committee?
To review options for administering a parking management program.
4. How many times has the Parking Committee met?
Because it is a staff working group, no records of meetings are kept.
5. What materials did the Parking Committee consult?
The resources that were reviewed will be presented at the workshop on the 27th.
6. Has the City updated the Walker Parking Consultants Multi-Space Parking Meter Study (2000) or authorized another study be completed? If there is an updated study, please forward.
No, the Walker Study has not been updated.
7. Did the Parking Committee formulate a report of their findings and recommendations? If yes, please forward the Parking Committee Report.
No, a report has not been generated.
5 comments:
Make my day Carmel, pass paid parking and the kitschification of Carmel-by-the-Sea will be complete.
Some of the benefits of paid parking cited by the city are either wrong or contradictory.
First, the supposed beneift of an increase in the availability of convenient downtown parking for visitors and residents is contradicted by allowing visitors and residents to stay as long as they wish without fear of receiving a parking citation.
Secondly, the supposed benefit of an increase in City revenues that can be invested into the community sounds good but upon examination we see money going into parking kiosks could go to restaurant meals and shopping purchases and the city would get revenue from sales tax. To ask visitors and guests to attend to a parking meter takes time away from shopping, eating and enjoying the village.
The idea floating around that employee parking shunted to the periphery with increase parking spaces for tourists is untrue if tourists are allowed to park for unlimited periods. It could also cause problems and conflicts with residential parking.
The opinion that Carmel needs a new revenue source and day visitors should pay their share is a bit specious. First, reserve funds have been increasing with each passing year, now overly $10 million, mostly in funds designated by the city which are arbitrary and can be changed. Secondly, visitors already pay their fair share by paying most of the sales tax, most of the TOT and 60% of the property taxes. I hope smarter heads prevail in the paid parking decision.
One fact that is regularly overlooked is that 40-50% of the parking spaces are taken up by employees of Carmel businesses.
Move employees to designated parking zones and you will have plenty of parking spots for shoppers and others who come to spend money in Carmel. It would be good if employees didn't continually have to move their cars from parking space to space. But businesses just won't step up to the plate to help solve the problems of traffic management.
You say that visitors pay their share by paying 60% of the property taxes. REALLY? I thought property owners paid property taxes, you know those people with a vested financial interest in a home? And day visitors do not pay TOT. Day visitors don't stay overnight. That's why they are called "day visitors".
You do not have to tend to parking meters when you purchase a ticket from a kiosk. Choose the amount of time you want to spend, pay for the time, post the sticker on the windshield. Simple.
As far as the city's reserves: As of last year, it was closer to $9M. At the pace the City Council has been approving expenditures without cutting other costs, what is left of the non-designated reserves will disappear in a a few years. The city has had operating deficits for at least two years running with no plan to change course.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find common ground between government-oriented, bureaucratic minded individuals and small, independent, risk-taking business owners who must compete in a free market economy with no government subsidies.
To the extent there is real or perceived antipathy towards business owners, their employees and “day” visitors, it is counterproductive and part of the problem.
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