CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: May 18, 2016
PREPARED BY: Leslie A. Little, Asst. City Manager/Community Development
APPROVED BY: City Manager
Title
2016 DOWNTOWN PARKING CONDITIONS STUDY UPDATE - HEXAGON TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS
END
RECOMMENDATION(S)
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive report, and
2. Provide comments and direction regarding the study recommendations.
BODY
COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES:
Ongoing Priorities
Enhancing public safety
Preserving and cultivating public trust
2016 Focus Areas
Planning Our Community
Developing Our Community
Enhancing Our Services
REPORT NARRATIVE:
The City has evaluated existing and future parking needs in Downtown Morgan Hill on several occasions; in 2002, 2004, 2006 and in 2008. In 2008, a Downtown Parking Resources Management Strategy (DKS Associates) was developed in conjunction with the preparation of the November 2009 Downtown Specific Plan. The 2009 parking analysis counted existing parking supply and demand and determined that 1080 spaces served Downtown, identified a surplus public parking supply that supported the historic retail/office parking demand for the Downtown, determined that a surplus of 238 spaces existed, but did not include parking contained in Lots 37 A and B (465), Lot 38 (240) or the Courthouse (273). The study found that existing parking occupancy was less than capacity for both on-street and off-street facilities. Parking turnover varied from short durations to all-day parking for Downtown employees. The study also evaluated the conditions of existing parking supply (signage, lighting, pavement condition).
2009 Parking Condition Study
The 2009 study assessed parking demand based upon the projections from the impact of the Downtown Specific Plan, and potential development of opportunity sites to the maximum permitted by the Specific Plan. The study concluded that "while current parking demand is less than the available supply, projected development and redevelopment is anticipated to increase parking demand while removing some of the existing off-street and on-street parking supply. The study further concluded that "Based on development and the addition of projected 166,490 SF of new retail, 61,000 SF of new office and 681 new residential units, and no on-site parking requirements for new retail and office developments, retaining the exiting availability of 103 on - street parking in existing residential neighborhoods Downtown, and targeting a 92% occupancy rate, 808 public spaces would need to be added to the supply by 2030.”
The study also projected a mid-point measure, assuming development of 94,000 sf of that total 166,490 SF of retail in Downtown by 2015. In actuality, plans on the drawing board and/or with site permits and in construction review, add an additional gross 43,000 sf of retail space but replace 30,000 of obsolete retail space, therefore contributing a net/new 13,000 SF of retail; far from the 94,000 sf contemplated in 2009.
The 2009 study made several parking management recommendations:
1) Consider reducing the time limit for parking to encourage turnover and increasing enforcement of restricted parking spaces
2) Create a designated parking lot for Downtown (DT) employees. This would increase availability of desired parking spaces for DT business patrons.
3) Work with property owners to improve the lighting and pavement conditions of private parking lots.
4) Long-term, increase funding to the off-street, public parking supply (in lieu fees, parking assessment district)
5) If a parking meter program is considered, create a parking pricing strategy to influence parking behavior. Consider peak shared parking alternatives.
6) Create a parking monitoring program
2013 Parking Supply review
The 2009 study was again reviewed in 2013, to find that conditions had not changed from 2009. In 2013, on-site parking standards for retail uses remained unchanged, but in-lieu fees of $11,000 per space, were adopted for new office space, should it occur. Parking requirements to meet residential parking needs on-site in all new development also remained unchanged.
2016 Parking Condition Update
With the City preparing to experience development of several Downtown private properties, spurred primarily by the sale of former Redevelopment real estate assets, but also as a result of non-RDA private investment and new public investment in two active public park spaces, parking capacity Downtown has again been assessed. With the exception of the Granada Theater renovation, none of the anticipated projects have started construction. The 2016 Parking Conditions Update has been prepared contemplating these developments, to review the anticipated impact upon the public/private parking supply. The updated report estimates the peak demand requirements for the developments which are known at this time, whether or not they have been permitted or eventually get constructed.
The recently completed residential projects near the Downtown area, including Brighton Oaks, De Nova at Diana, and Bella Terra, were not included in the parking counts. These developments are considered to have stand-alone parking and will serve solely their own parking needs, without requiring the use of street or public parking to meet demands in the Downtown Core. Additionally, due to the close proximity to the Downtown area, these developments have included pedestrian access elements in their plans to ensure residents travel to the Downtown area using non-automobile forms of transportation.
The study finds many of the same facts that the original 2009 parking conditions evaluation
highlighted:
2,073 Parking spaces exist to serve Downtown, including the new parking garage. Private parking 779 (including Courthouse - 273) and public parking 1,294 (including Community Cultural Center (CCC) - 240; and VTA - 465). Comparing apples and apples with the 2009 study, there are 1,095 spaces, without the use and inclusion of the large parking supplies at the CCC, Courthouse and VTA (978 total).
Morgan Hill Downtown, at peaks hours, has a 39% occupancy rate of parking supply and is well below the practical capacity limit of 92% of parking. Peak hour (Friday early evening) on-street parking along Monterey road was almost fully occupied between Main Street and 5th Street. Demand on cross streets was busy between 2nd and 5th Street, and a majority of roads outlining Downtown (Main, Depot, Del Monte) were not. The highest occupancy off-street segment was Depot Street, at 67%, between 1st and 2nd Streets.
Peak demand is 1,009 spaces. Peak demand will increase to 1,269 spaces if the development currently contemplated is constructed.
Friday evening peak parking occupancy indicates that there is a good supply of available parking in the Downtown area as a whole. However, parking availability varies throughout the Downtown area as the central location experiences much higher demand than other areas. A few parking areas exceed 92% occupancy during the Friday evening parking peak.
Parking lots along Depot Street or located within 2 blocks of the center of Downtown, experience less than 50% occupancy during peak periods, while lots located immediately in the center of Downtown are often 100% occupied
The new Downtown 271-space parking structure will strategically serve the highest demand area of Downtown, nearly doubling available public and private parking supply numbers.
New projects planned for Downtown will cause the net loss of 79 previously RDA controlled public parking spaces (Downtown Mall - 50, Third and Monterey - 19, and North Depot parking lot, 10. New active park development will remove an additional 51 spaces from the south Depot parking lot.
The future parking supply in the Downtown area is projected to change due to the development of four proposed projects and a new public park. No roadway improvements are planned that would change the total number of on-street parking spaces. In total, the future parking supply in the Downtown area is expected to decrease by 10 private and 61 public off-street parking spaces. The future Downtown area parking supply is projected to include 434 on-street parking spaces, 506 off-street private parking spaces, and 1,506 public off-street parking spaces, including the 273 parking spaces in the Courthouse parking lot.
Conclusions
Overall, the City is well supplied to meet both its existing and future parking demands. Parking demand within the Downtown center (along Monterey Street) is significantly more occupied during peak hours than the streets and parking lots further away, including Del Monte Avenue, Depot Street, the Caltrain/VTA lots, and the Courthouse lot.
Peak occupancy in 2009 was 45%. In 2016, peak existing conditions are 39% of capacity, projected to be 49% of total capacity, with the construction of "known" proposed new development improvements or 72% of total "public - only" parking supply; well within the standard of 92% capacity, set for the Downtown.
Recommendations
1. Existing supply is very healthy. Strategies for managing parking should make better use of the supply.
2. VTA is permitting evening use of the parking lot for valet via the City encroachment permit process, currently reducing peak demand on core parking by 21 - 45 spaces on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Valet was not part of the 2009 experience or strategy. (VTA parking lot is commonly owned by VTA and the Successor Agency). Developments that do not provide adequate parking to meet the demand, or those that are expected to have relatively high demands should consider implementing valet parking for their patrons.
3. Evaluation of parking demand and supply should occur consistently, per the recommendation of the 2009 report.
4. Key parking management and utilization strategies identified in 2009 should be implemented throughout Downtown.
5. The City should consider reducing its capacity threshold to 85%, replacing the current 92% to be more consistent with accepted parking industry measures.
6. The City should develop and enforce overnight parking permits to keep public lots available for short term parking needs.
7. Current 24 hour availability of most public on-street parking creates an ease of parking choices, which allows the private parking resources to be underutilized. Regulation of on-street parking should be implemented to reinforce the use of off-street parking for its intended purpose. A major contributor to the overuse of the public on-street supply is by residents in the Downtown area not using the parking space provided on their own lots for their vehicles, but rather as general home storage areas. The City should consider offering neighborhood clean out days, providing free hauling service to aide existing residents to clean out garages and driveways of material that prevents access to their parking.
8. Parking conditions with the proposed development, should they all proceed to construction, will be nearing the practical capacity. The City should work to designate future sites for public parking if future growth is anticipated.
9. The City should create a designated parking lot for Downtown employees. This would increase availability of desired parking spaces for DT business patrons.
In addition, the Planning Commission reviewed and discussed the report and its findings on April 12, 2016 and offered the following insights, and recommendations.
- A review and discussion about how and where to add handicapped parking in private and public parking facilities is needed.
Improved signage for public parking areas is needed; specifically the Planning Commission endorsed adopting the universal blue parking "P" signs.
Discussion of the relationship between the VTA lot and the private buses was held. (subsequently a meeting with VTA was held on May 4 and the discussion of an operating agreement to formalize joint use by VTA and the City was discussed.)
- A table showing the peak parking hour and demand for each new development anticipated, as well as the parking demand at 7 p.m., should be prepared.
- Modify language to state that parking enforcement should be “initiated” rather than “increased.”
- Discuss apps for phones to assist in finding parking as a recommendation (could be included in the signage/wayfinding discussion).
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Involve
The Planning Commission reviewed the update to the Parking Capacity Study on April 12, 2016 and provided comments and recommendations included in this report. Public meetings inviting businesses and residents to discuss the findings of the report were held on May 11, 2016 at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce helped notify members of the morning meeting date and time.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
The City Council may direct further study or actions, or initiate policy recommendations based upon the findings of the report.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION ACTIONS:
Downtown parking capacity has been systematically reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008/2009, and 2013.
FISCAL AND RESOURCE IMPACT:
This parking evaluation was prepared at a cost of $37,450. With public meetings, the total cost of the contract is not to exceed $45,000. The cost of the recommendations were not evaluated.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):
Not a Project
All development and related actions in Downtown were contemplated in the Master Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Morgan Hill Specific Plan.
LINKS/ATTACHMENTS:
1. Hexagon Downtown Parking Conditions Update - 2016
2. Parking Study comment email