5.1. HRSR 06-05-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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King Avenue Parking Lot Task Force Minutes May 5, 2005 Page 3 lot facing Main Street so that parkers and others could see where additional parking would be available during the month of reconstruction of the King Avenue lot. Ms. Raduenz presented the group with pictures she had taken from other local communities that demonstrated types of signage used to display areas for public parking, employee only parking and various incremental hourly parking areas. Group members, particularly Mr. Houlton, expressed admiration for vintage-looking signage that sits on high poles denoting public parking located in the downtown Stillwater area. This display was left with Ms. Steinmetz for future discussions about signage that may occur after redevelopment is finished. 4. Walking Tour of Downtown Area to Identify Parking Zone Areas The group had originally discussed walking through key areas downtown to determine areas where different parking zones might be located. However, at this point in the meeting Mr. Holme had to leave for a doctor's appointment. Group members spent time discussing traffic flow and stop sign areas. Mr. Houlton said that the `last thing the City should do is impede traffic crossing the bridge near Main Street and Highway 10'. Mr. Sunderman said that a `right turn lane should be installed off Main Street onto the Parish Ave. bridge, as 4x4 vehicles simply drive over existing curb cuts at that location'. Ms. Steinmetz said that there was not enough width on the road to make that work and that the Ciry Engineer and Ciry Council had already looked into that issue. Mr. Johnson said that `businesses need traffic and need to stop, and a balance must be struck so that live customers can have access.' Mr. Sunderman said the best way to fix perceived problems in parking and transportation access is to `keep it simple' and that there should be a `few, simplified parking zones in the downtown area, short-term for customers and long-term for employees.' After a study of downtown public parking spaces, the group members discussed what type of parking terms should be utilized downtown. They reached a consensus for the short-term (until redevelopment has been completed downtown) in suggesting that all public parking limits begin at 6:00 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. They also determined that there should be a couple of 15-minute parking spots near the pharmacy for prescription pickup as currently exist, disabled parking spaces where identified previously, and that the remaining spaces on the streets in the downtown area be signed for 2 hour duration, while the King Avenue parking lot public area be zoned for 4-hour parking lot. Mr. McCoy said he was comfortable with these limits as employees would then be able to park in designated employee areas of the King Avenue lot (northwest corner area) all day with a visible permit hanging from a rear-view mirror. Mr. Houlton, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Sunderman agreed to this delineation. Because Mr. Holme had already left the meeting, Ms. Raduenz contacted him the following Monday to review the group's parking zone recommendations. Mr. Holme suggested that the new parking zones occur after the King Avenue lot has been reconstructed, and that parking regulations should be enforced both during the lot construction and after it is finished. He also suggested that a 3-hour parking zone be established for the public spaces available in the King Avenue lot rather than a 4-hour zone, as employees who did not park within the employee-zoned areas may try and park in the public spaces and move their vehicles every 4 hours during the day rather than parking further away in the lot. Mr. Holme felt that a 3-hour limit in the King lot would be sufficient for most visitors and 2 hours for on-street visitor spaces was appropriate.