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ALRIGHT, SIX O'CLOCK.[1. CALL SESSION TO ORDER]
CALL THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 23RD TO ORDER ROLL CALL.COUNCILOR THORNTON, CLARK LAR.
MAYOR TOM GORDON HERE, MAYORS HERE.
[3.1. Discussion and possible action regarding a plan for Old Town Streets. (Matt Rector) ]
IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A PLAN FOR OLD TOWN STREETS.AND I, AND I'LL, I'LL SAY THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC HERE, WHICH IS AWESOME.
THESE MEETINGS ARE MORE FOR YOU TO HEAR US DISCUSSING DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, BUT AT THE TIME, SOMETHING FROM HERE SHOULD GO TO A COUNCIL FOR A VOTE.
AT THAT TIME THERE'LL BE PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND GIVE THEIR, UH, VIEWPOINTS.
BUT THIS IS MORE FOR YOU ALL TO KIND OF HEAR WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON AND THEN TO, UH, COME BACK AND, UM, TALK TO US ON, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO DO OR NOT DO.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNSEL.
UH, SO AS INDICATED, THIS IS DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL PLAN FOR OLD TOWN STREETS.
YOU MAY RECALL WE DISCUSSED THIS BACK IN AUGUST ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE OLD TOWN STREETS.
UM, WE, BACK THEN WE TALKED ABOUT NUMBER ONE, WE CLARIFIED WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OLD TOWN.
SO THAT'S THE AREA KIND OF SHOWN IN GREEN ON THE SLIDE HERE.
UH, SO IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CO-OP, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OREGON DISTRICT.
UH, WHEN WE PRESENTED IT BACK IN AUGUST, WE REFRESHED THE COUNCIL'S MEMORY AS THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD APPROVED IN THE, IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ABOUT RECLAIMING UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, ADDING IN STREETSCAPING, CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PLACES.
UH, THERE'S A STREETSCAPING PLAN WE TALKED TO THROUGH THE THOROUGHFARE WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING THROUGH REDESIGNING LIVE OAK AND, AND GETTING THAT DONE.
UH, WE REMINDED YOU OF THE, THE CROSS SECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND WE ALSO TALKED YOU THROUGH WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING WOULD, IT WOULD COST THE CITY IF WE WERE GONNA DO WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO WITH LIVE OAK.
IF WE WERE GONNA DO THAT ON ALL THESE STREETS IN HOMETOWN, IT CAME UP TO, YOU KNOW, AROUND 43 MILLION, GIVE OR TAKE A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO IN THAT CONVERSATION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP WAS, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? IS THIS REALLY WHAT WE WANNA DO? AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DEBATE AMONGST THE COUNCIL AND AT THAT TIME, EXCUSE ME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT FORWARD WAS WHAT IF WE WENT TO A TRUE OLD TOWN, OLD TOWN CONCEPT WHERE WE LOOKED AT MAYBE DOING SOME ONE WAY STREETS.
AND SO, UM, COUNCIL DISCUSSED THAT A LITTLE BIT THEMSELVES.
UM, THEY WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS.
AND SO, UM, COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO GO AHEAD AND START PUTTING TOGETHER A DRAFT PLAN OF HOW WE WOULD DO THIS, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND SO, UM, WE, WE STARTED PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER AND LET ME JUMP TO A PDF F VERSION.
ALRIGHT, SO I THINK I CAN MOVE.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE WE'VE KIND OF, WE'VE GONE THROUGH, RIGHT LIKE THE HAND TOOL AT THE TOP LEFT UP AT THE BLUE DOWN.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE WE WENT THROUGH, WE COLLECTED, UH, DATA WITH THE HELP OF THE EDC TO FIGURE OUT TRAFFIC COUNTS, TRAFFIC VOLUMES.
AND THEN WE WENT THROUGH BASED ON THAT AND STARTED TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WAS THE TRAFFIC GOING.
SO HOW COULD WE COME UP WITH A PLAN TO CONSIDER DOING ONE-WAY STREETS? SO YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN ARROWS ARE, UH, EASTBOUND TRAFFIC, YELLOWISH GOLD, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL THAT COLOR IS WESTBOUND TRAFFIC.
THE PURPLE IS SOUTHBOUND AND THE BLUE IS NORTHBOUND.
UM, SOME OF THE STREETS WE LEFT IS TWO-WAY OBVIOUSLY EAST STREET WE FIGURED WAS A MAIN THOROUGHFARE THROUGH TOWN, SO WE LEFT THAT AS A TWO-WAY STREET.
IT ACTUALLY CONTINUES ON PAST WHAT, WHAT WAS SHOWN AS OLD TOWN AND THE GREEN BORDER THAT I STARTED OFF THE SLIDESHOW WITH, UM, LIVE OAK BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING SO LONG ON IT.
AND IT IS A COLLECTOR THAT'S GONNA GO
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FROM, THEORETICALLY GO FROM 1 32 ALL THE WAY TO ONE 30.MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THAT ONE TO BE A TWO-WAY STREET.
UH, WE KEPT FARLEY AS A TWO-WAY STREET JUST BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY MADE IMPROVEMENTS DOWN THERE AND WE HAVE THE, THE TWO-WAY PARKING.
UM, SO WE PUT THIS DRAFT TOGETHER, THAT MAIN, MAINLY THE POINT THAT WHAT WE WANNA DISCUSS, WE DID GO AHEAD AND ROUTE IT BACK POWERPOINT WE DID GO AHEAD AND ROUTE IT THROUGH SOME CITY STAFF ASKING FOR THEM TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
SO THE COUNCIL WILL BE AWARE BECAUSE IT'S EASY FOR ME AS AN ENGINEER TO SIT THERE AND GO, OKAY, LEFT, RIGHT NORTH, SOUTH, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I JUST LOOK AT NUMBERS AND GO, THIS MAKES SENSE.
BUT I WANTED TO GET A FEEL FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE MANAGING THIS EVERY DAY.
PEOPLE I ASK CHANEY TO WEIGH IN BECAUSE SHE'S TALKING TO THE BUSINESSES AND SHE'S LOOKING AT HOW THIS IS GONNA IMPACT EVERYBODY.
AND SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO GET A FEEL FROM INTERNAL STAFF BEFORE WE STARTED JUST LIKE GOING MAINSTREAM WITH THIS WHOLE THING.
SO YOU CAN SEE PDS CONCERNS WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE VERY ACCUSTOMED TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC AND MAY FIND THE ONE WAY SYSTEM CONFUSING, UH, WHICH COULD LEAD TO CRASHES, COMPLAINTS, VIOLATIONS, FRUSTRATION.
UM, IT COULD LEAD TO DELAYS FOR LONG-TERM RESIDENTS, DELIVERY DRIVERS, EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD TAKE A LOT FOR THE GPS SYSTEM TO MAKE THE UPDATES.
AND IT MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY OF SOME BUSINESSES OR MAKE IT HARDER FOR CUSTOMERS TO GET TO THEM.
UM, AND SO PDS SUGGESTION, INSTEAD OF DOING THE ONE WAY STREETS IS TO DO TWO WAY STREETS, BUT COMPLETELY RESTRICT STREET PARKING EXCEPT IN AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY MARKED SPACES.
UM, THIS IS A LITTLE HARDER TO READ.
UH, SO I'M GONNA ZOOM BACK IN ON THIS.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GOT FROM, EXCUSE ME, FROM GDC.
UM, SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A LIGHT HERE AT UH, 1660 AND LI OI WANT ME TO TALK THROUGH MY CHICKEN SCRATCHES.
I WASN'T AWARE THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE IN HERE AS IT WAS, BUT I'M A BIT A DINOSAUR SO I HAND WRITE EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, AT CHURCH STREET IN 1660 IS KIND OF THE FURTHEST NORTH CIRCLE THAT I HAVE DRAWN THERE.
UM, MY THOUGHT OR SUGGESTION WAS TO KEEP IT ALL SOUTHBOUND.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE CONFUSING TO HAVE ONE SEGMENT THAT IS NORTHBOUND WHEN THE REST IS SOUTH.
SO, UM, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY THERE.
UM, AND THEN KEEPING PARK STREET AS A TWO-WAY STREET, UM, I THOUGHT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING HUGE IMPROVEMENTS TO FRITZ PARK.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO EASILY ACCESS THAT PARK, UM, OFF OF 79 COMING FROM EITHER DIRECTION, I THOUGHT WOULD BE A REALLY IMPORTANT THING, UH, TO OPTIMIZE THAT IMPROVED PARK.
UM, AND THEN ALTERNATING ONE WAYS THE NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND FOR CONSISTENCY AND TRAFFIC FLOW.
SO ALONG 79, UM, JUST ON THOSE SHORTER STREETS IN MOST CITIES THAT I'VE BEEN IN, THEY TRY TO FOLLOW A LEFT ONLY RIGHT? ONLY LEFT ONLY, RIGHT? ONLY AS YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE STREET.
IT JUST KIND OF HELPS YOUR PSYCHE AS YOU'RE TRAVELING.
IT'S AN EASY PATTERN TO, UH, RECOGNIZE.
SO THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD CONSIDERATION ALSO.
UM, AND THEN CHURCH STREET I HAD ON THERE, UM, CHANGE IT TO ALL NORTHBOUND AND COLLEGE STREET TO ALL SOUTHBOUND OR VICE VERSA SO THAT IT CONTINUES THAT ALTERNATING PATTERN.
UM, AND THEN LIVE OAK AT 1660.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WAS.
THAT'S A PRETTY MAJOR INTERSECTION, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE, THE PENDING IMPROVEMENTS TO LIVE OAK.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS GONNA BE A FULL SIGNAL OR IF WE WERE GONNA DO A ROUNDABOUT THERE, WHAT THE PLAN WAS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT INTERSECTION AS AS EACH OF ADDITIONAL ATTENTION JUST DUE TO THE VOLUME.
UH, AND THEN I HAD PECAN AT 1660.
UH, I HAD MAINTAINED EASTBOUND ONLY FOR CONSISTENCY AND THEN AS IT PRE AS PRESENTED IN THE PROPOSED PLAN, IT TURNS THAT INTERSECTION INTO A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION.
SO I THOUGHT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DIRECTIONS AT THAT INTERSECTION WOULD INCREASE SAFETY.
AND THEN YOU CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS VISIBILITY CHALLENGES TOO.
'CAUSE I KNOW ALL THOSE STREETS THAT INTERSECT 1660, IT IS REALLY HARD TO SEE ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
SO IF WE CAN MINIMIZE THAT BY NOT HAVING TO ALSO ACCOUNT FOR THE PEOPLE COMING AT YOU
UM, AND THEN PROBABLY UNPOPULAR, BUT HEAR ME OUT
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IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO CHANGE THAT TO A ONE WAY, UH, PROBABLY NORTHBOUND DUE TO THE ALTERNATING PATTERN OR AGAIN, IF WE CHANGE THE PATTERN THEN IT WOULD CHANGE.BUT THE REASON BEING IS JUST ITS PROXIMITY TO THE 16, 16 79 INTERSECTION.
UM, JUST DEALING WITH TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND PEOPLE TRYING TO TURN LEFT THERE, THAT COULD BE REALLY A DIFFICULT THING TO NAVIGATE.
UH, ESPECIALLY APPROACHING THAT, THAT TURN SIGNAL.
UM, THERE I'VE SAT THERE BEFORE MANY TIMES BEHIND PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO TURN ON EAST STREET AND I'M TRYING TO TURN AT 1660
SO, UH, JUST THINKING THROUGH THAT, UM, I THINK THAT WAS IT.
THE GENERAL FEEDBACK I HAVE AT THE BOTTOM THERE, UM, IS JUST, AGAIN, ALTERNATING THE ONE WAYS AND BEING CONSISTENT WITH THAT EAST, WEST AND NORTH SOUTH.
UH, IF WE'RE GONNA GO THAT ROUTE AGAIN, JUST FOR THE EASE OF FLOW AND KIND OF LOGIC MINDSET, UM, AND MAKING, HAVING THE IMPACT OF FEWER CARS ON EACH SEGMENT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SHORTER SEGMENTS TO ALTERNATE THOSE.
OTHERWISE WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH MORE PEOPLE KIND OF PROBABLY GOING THE WRONG WAY,
UM, AND THEN JUST ALSO CONSIDERING ANY SAFETY IMPACT IN GENERAL AS WE LOOK AT TRAFFIC FLOWS.
THAT'S WHAT THE CHICKEN SCRATCHES SAY THERE.
UM, SO I KNOW WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT KIND OF QUICK.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR COUNCIL TO ACTUALLY DISCUSS AMONGST YOURSELVES THE PLAN AND PROS, CONS, UH, WHATEVER THOUGHT MAY BE ON HOW WE PROCEED FROM HERE.
UH, THERE'S A SECOND ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, SO I'M TRYING TO HURRY UP AND GET TO THAT POINT SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
SO THANKS FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
UM, INITIAL THOUGHTS ON FROM COUNCIL? WELL, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER.
THE, THE PROBLEM WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, WAS JUST THE NARROWNESS OF THE STREETS AND THE CHALLENGE OF DOING TWO-WAY STREETS WITH PUTTING ENCORE EASEMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE STREET RATHER THAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
WAS THAT KIND OF WHAT THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER.
THE GENERAL GIST WAS, YES, THAT WE ARE SPACE CONSTRAINED.
THE COMP PLAN CALLS FOR TWO SLIDES.
SO THE COMP PLAN CALLS FOR TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC ON STREET PARKING SIDEWALKS, UH, THEN YOU HAVE YOUR EASEMENTS FOR ALL OF YOUR UTILITIES.
'CAUSE ON LIVE OAK WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERGROUND THE ELECTRIC AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO ADJUST YOUR TREE LAWNS AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH A LOT OF OLD TOWN, UM, PEOPLE HAVE BUILT RIGHT UP BASICALLY TO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO TRYING TO ADD IN ON STREET PARKING MEANS THAT YOU MIGHT BE TAKING OUT THEIR DRIVEWAY OR TRYING TO PUT A SIDEWALK MEANS YOU MIGHT BE CROSSING THEIR FRONT DOORSTEP IN SOME CASES.
AND SO THE THE WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WAS IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOW, BEING ABLE TO ADD IN THE SIDEWALKS, FIXING THE BAR DITCHES AND LIVE WITHIN THE SPACE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE HAVE.
AND SO WE THOUGHT, WELL MAYBE IF WE DO ONE WAY STREETS, A LOT OF THE SPACES WE DON'T NEED FOUR LANES ANYMORE.
AND SO MAYBE WE CAN FIT MORE OF THIS STUFF IN BY JUST CHANGING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN.
SO THEN IT COULD INCREASE SAFETY, ESPECIALLY PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
AND THEN THE EASEMENTS, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE WITH LIKE LIVE OAK, WHEN THEY WERE TELLING US WE HAD TO PUT THE POWER IN THE ROAD, THAT WAS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
AND SO TRYING TO GET THAT OUT OF THE ROAD AND OFF TO THE SIDE YES.
UH, FOR ALL THE REST OF THE ROADS.
I GUESS FOR ME, UM, FOR OLD TOWN, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, WE HAD A JOINT EDC MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL AND IT'S JUST, UM, I GUESS PUMPING SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTO OLD OLD TOWN SO THAT WE CAN, UM, I GUESS MAKE THE STREETS BETTER FIGURE OUT, I GUESS, WHAT DIRECTION WE WANNA GO IN AS FAR AS TURNING ROADS INTO ONE WAYS OR KEEPING THEM AS IS.
I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE TRAFFIC FLOW IS HEAVY ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY CHANGING TO ONE WAY RIGHT NOW.
UM, I THINK IN THE FUTURE ABSOLUTELY IT MIGHT BE JUSTIFIED, BUT, UM, I'M, I'M A PROPONENT OF, UM, GROUNDING UTILITIES, HAVING A SIDEWALK ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN, THE OLD TOWN, UM, ROADS.
UM, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE FOR THE TO ON BOTH SIDES, LIKE THE, THE SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
UM, DEFINITELY, UH, PRIORITY HAS BEEN
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RECONSTRUCTION OF LIVE OAK THAT'S KIND OF, UM, IN THE WORKS IN DESIGN AND UM, I GUESS RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST KIND OF BOTH MAINTENANCE ON THE OTHER STREETS.UM, SO, BUT MY BIG THING IS JUST, UM, GETTING THE EDC TO KIND OF PUMP SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, LIKE BOOSTING BUSINESSES, TRYING TO REDEVELOP THAT.
AND ALSO GOING BACK TO THE 2040 COMP PLAN TO KIND OF GROW THAT AREA BECAUSE WE'RE 20, 25, 20 40, WE'RE 15 YEARS OUT.
UM, THERE'S A PLAN FOR, UM, OLD TOWN AND SO, UH, WE PAID FOR IT.
SO WE, WE NEED TO ENVISION IT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE EXACTLY HOW IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE PLAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, GENERAL, UH, GENERAL GIST.
AND IN THE 2040 COMPLAIN THERE IS, UM, UH, I GUESS I WON'T GET INTO PARKING, BUT, UM, I'LL SAY SOME OF THE SAME COMMENTS, UM, REGARDING, UH, PARKING.
BUT THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH, UM, OLD TOWN.
CAN YOU GO BACK A SLIDE TO THE PD? SO I THINK I, I AGREE.
I THINK WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN, BUT I THINK, I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIG PLAN ON HOW YOU'RE GONNA DO ALL THAT.
AND I THINK ONE OF IT IS HOW ARE PEOPLE NAVIGATING IN A, IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN JUST FROM THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND ALSO THE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO COME THERE.
AND I LOOK AT OTHER PLACES AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GOT IT, BUT THEY'VE GOT CERTAIN AREAS THERE, TWO WAY CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE ONE WAY.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A PATH THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT I THINK TO ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THE PD CONCERNS, I DON'T THINK YOU JUST DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
I THINK YOU, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE E STREET BE TWO WAY BECAUSE WE WANT TO, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA SEE E STREET BE BUILT THE WAY IT WAS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
AND SO TO DO ALL THAT HAVE ONE WAY MAY BE TOUGH.
BUT I DO THINK SOME OF THE ROADS THAT WE'VE GOT GOING, IF WE MAKE THE, THERE WAS ONE COMMENT ABOUT MAKING ALL THE ROADS ON, I FORGOT THE ROAD PE CON HAVE TO GO EAST, THEN THE WHOLE EAST SIDE IS ALL FLOWING EAST.
SO I THINK WE FIXED A COUPLE OF THOSE.
BUT I THINK WE CAN DO THINGS LIKE UPDATE GPS SYSTEMS TODAY KNOWING THAT THE PLAN MAY TAKE EFFECT IN A YEAR.
AND THEN THAT WAY, WORST CASE, PEOPLE ARE GOING ON A TWO-WAY STREET ONE WAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT GPS SAYS.
BUT WE'VE ALREADY GOT THINGS UPDATED.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MY THINKING WAS THE ROAD WAS GOING TO BE ONE WAY.
IT IS TIGHT, IT IS TYPE TWO WAY WHEN YOU PUT ALL THE OTHER STUFF IN THERE, BUT YOU CAN HAVE SOME ON STREET PARKING.
THE PARKING SEEMS TO BE, EVERY TIME I TALK TO THE, THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE PROPERTY IN DOWNTOWN, THEY WANT MORE PARKING.
THERE'S GOTTA BE MORE PARKING.
THEY CAN'T MAKE ANY BUSINESSES WORK BECAUSE EVERYBODY SAYS I NEED MORE PARKING.
UM, AND SO THAT MAY BE A WAY IN MY MIND WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A ONE WAY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OLD TOWN HAVE A PLACE TO PARK.
WE HAVE 'EM STRIPED, UH, WE HAVE A SYSTEM SET UP THAT WE CAN GET INTO IN THE NEXT, NEXT PART OF THIS.
BUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T PARKING A CAR THERE FOR A WEEK AT A TIME? THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, WOULD HELP WITH A LOT.
BUT I WOULD REALLY WANNA RUN THE PLAN THROUGH A COUPLE MEETINGS.
ONE WITH OLD TOWN RESIDENTS AND OR BUSINESSES AND THEN ONE WITH OLD TOWN BUSINESSES.
'CAUSE IT'S REALLY EASY TO GO, THIS MAKES SENSE.
BUT IF I DON'T LIVE DOWN THERE AND I JUST GO DOWN THERE TO FREQUENT A BUSINESS, NOT OWN A BUSINESS, THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY PROBABLY SEE ON A DAILY BASIS TO GO, THIS MAKES SENSE.
BUT AS I REMEMBER, THE 42 MILLION WAS IF YOU BUILT IT LIKE NEXT YEAR.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE $42 MILLION.
SO I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO FER FROM THE PUBLIC IS DO THEY WANT A 20 YEAR PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GONNA DO ONE ROAD AT A TIME EVERY THREE OR FOUR YEARS IN 20 YEARS FROM NOW, OLD TOWNS REBUILT OR THEY OKAY WITH LIVE OAK BEING THE MAIN CONDUIT IN AND OUT OF TOWN AND, UH, FARLEY.
BUT SINCE MOST OF IT'S, ITS UH, BUILT OUT THAT BEING A MAIN CONDUIT IN E STREET AND THEN THE OTHER STREETS TOPPED SMOOTH STRIPED AND THINGS FOR ONE WAY, UM, TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN NAVIGATE IN AND OUT IN A SAFE MANNER WITH SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE SYSTEMS FIXED.
UM, AND IN THAT WAY THAT'S A, AS I REMEMBER, THAT WAS A LOT CHEAPER OF A SOLUTION POSSIBLY THAN FIGURING OUT HOW TO PAY FOR 42 MILLION.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD SOLUTION.
WE COULD ALWAYS CHANGE IT LATER IN WHITE ROADS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING ELSE CAUGHT UP IN A CITY.
UM, BUT TO ME THIS IS A GOOD PLAN TO WHERE, UM, YOU ARE ABLE TO GET SOMETHING STARTED.
WE MAY TALK TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AND THEY MAY PUSH BACK AND SAY, THIS IS NOT KEEP IT LIKE IT IS.
AND TO ME THEN YOU SAY, OKAY, WE'LL KEEP IT LIKE IT IS.
BUT IF THEY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT KIND OF SUCKS, BUT IT MAKES SOME SENSE AND I CAN, I CAN PROBABLY LIVE WITH IT.
AND I THINK THE COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT IT REAL HARD AND GO, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS A PLAN.
WE CAN IMPLEMENT STEPS AND WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO WE CAN HAVE LIVE OAK REBUILT, WE CAN HAVE THE ROADS
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ALL RESURFACED, EVERYTHING'S STRIPED, AND THEN THAT'S COVERS EVERYTHING BUT THE BULK OF DOWNTOWN AND WE CAN COME BACK AND FOCUS THERE.BUT, UH, I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO BE MOVING FORWARD TO BRING TO THE PUBLIC AND, UH, AND GET SOME CITIZEN AND, AND BUSINESS OWNER INPUT.
YEAH, I THINK ONE WAY SOLVES A LOT OF PROBLEMS, UM, MAKES IT A LOT MORE ECONOMICAL TO DO SOME OF THOSE LONG TERM UPGRADES THAT WE WANT TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECT TO THIS, BUT MORE THAN HAPPY IT'S HERE OR RESIDENTIAL.
SO, UH, THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEIR SAFETY, UM, PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO, NOT TO TOTALLY THINK ABOUT THIS AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO THINK OF IT IN BOTH WAYS AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, I THINK SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES BROUGHT UP, UH, THAT THE EBC FLAGGED MAKES SOME SENSE.
UM, BALANCING WHERE THE TRAFFIC FLOWS VERSUS HAVING A, A CONSISTENT PATTERNS THAT MAKES THAT KIND OF MAKES SENSE IN A WAY IS, IS WORTH LOOKING AT.
UM, YOU DON'T WANNA GO TOO MUCH AGAINST THE DATA, BUT SOMETIMES IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO GO A LITTLE BIT OFF THE DATA TO, TO MAKE A CONSISTENT SYSTEM.
UH, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVING PEOPLE TURNING LEFT ONTO E STREET AND THEN RIGHT AFTER AROUND TO 1660, I DON'T THINK THE SOLUTION IS MAKING E STREET ONE WAY.
I THINK THE SOLUTION IS MAYBE, MAYBE YOU CAN'T TURN LEFT ON E STREET FROM 79 EASTBOUND.
AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING TO WORK WITH, UH,
UM, BUT NO, I THINK THIS IS A DIRECTION WE NEED TO MOVE IN.
I THINK NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TROUBLE ADJUSTING TO IT AND YOU JUST HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT.
IF IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, THEN, THEN, UH, SOME OF THAT SHORT TERM PAIN WILL BE WORTH IT.
BRIAN, ANY THOUGHTS? I MEAN, I, I, I THINK EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID.
I THINK THAT THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE CITIZEN AND BUSINESS INPUT JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA STYMIE ANY, ANYTHING THAT ANYONE HAS GOING ON.
AND I CAN SEE, I CAN SEE THE PDS CONCERNS.
I CAN ALSO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY.
UH, I THINK WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS TALK ABOUT WALKING IN OLD TOWN AND HAVING TO JUMP INTO A DITCH WITH ONCOMING CAR.
UM, SO I DO THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLAN.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID, BUT UM, I THINK WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
IT'S JUST, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO GET SOME INPUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, MAKE SOME SORT OF A, A DECISION THAT'S GONNA HELP OUT, UH, ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.
YEAH, I'LL JUST, I'LL ECHO THAT.
UM, WE DEFINITELY NEED SOME PUBLIC INPUT, SOME SORT OF WORKSHOP.
UM, I'VE SAID FOR A LONG TIME, MANY PEOPLE IN HERE HAVE HEARD ME SAY IT.
I THINK IF YOU DON'T INVEST IN YOUR DOWNTOWN AND YOU DON'T HAVE A HOMETOWN, BUT I THINK US INVESTING IN THE OLD TOWN, BOTH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS IS, IS THE THING WE MUST DO IF WE'RE GONNA GROW.
HU I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF AREAS IN HU THAT, THAT NEED SOME INVESTMENT AND NEED SOME LOVE TOO.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN FROM HERE, SO YOU CAN TELL THEY'RE, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THIS.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO BRING IT TO PUBLIC.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A PLAN.
I THINK THE PLAN NEEDS TO BE REALISTIC FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT.
UH, 'CAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SWALLOW THAT PILL.
SO WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, YEAH, I'D, I'D LOVE TO BRING THIS TO, TO THE PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY DO A, DO AN OPEN WORKSHOP AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND TALK TO SOME PEOPLE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ONE? ALRIGHT, THEN WE'LL GO ON TO
[3.2. Discussion and possible action on paid parking options for Old Town. (Kate Moriarty) ]
THREE, TWO DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION ON PAID PARKING OPTIONS FOR OLD TOWN.UM, KATE MORIARTY, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
THIS ITEM IS A FOLLOW UP, UM, FROM A, A COUNCIL ACTION BACK IN NOVEMBER REGARDING JUST EXPLORING, UM, WHAT PAID PARKING OPTIONS THERE MAY BE FOR DOWNTOWN AND WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE USING DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
SO AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE ROUGHLY 140 ON STREET PARKING SPACES ALONG FARLEY AND EAST STREET.
AND THE WAY I'VE KIND OF BUILT THIS DISCUSSION IS TO FIRSTLY LOOK AT IMPLEMENTATION COSTS DEPENDING ON THE OPTIONS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST, UM, WHAT ENFORCEMENT MAY LOOK LIKE, POTENTIAL COST SCENARIOS, AND THEN HOPEFULLY, UM, GATHERING SOME DETERMINATION OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO BETTER INFLUENCE SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND WHATEVER DIRECTION THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO SOME OPTIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT THAT OTHER CITIES GENERALLY MODEL CAN BE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, UM, UTILIZING CURRENTLY STAFFED LAW ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS, I PUT THAT ASTERISK, ASTERISK THERE.
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WITH THE USE OF CAMERAS, THERE CAN BE SOME PUBLIC CONCERN.UM, YOU KNOW, WITH PRIVACY AND LICENSE PLATE READING SOFTWARES IN TERMS OF OPTIONS FOR MANAGING YOUR PARKING SIGNAGE AND MOBILE SCANNERS WHERE YOU HAVE SOMEONE ON FOOT THAT IS GOING TO LICENSE PLATE TO LICENSE PLATE IS GOING TO BE YOUR MOST AFFORDABLE.
THERE ARE OPTIONS, UM, THAT WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS A, A PIECE OF SIGNAGE AND THEN IT HAS A QR CODE ON IT OR HAS A PHONE NUMBER THAT THEY CAN CALL TEXT TO VERY ACCESSIBLE.
UM, THAT'S GOING TO BE ROUGHLY TWO TO 3000.
AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR KIOSKS, WHICH ARE YOUR PAY TO PARK, YOU PUT YOUR CARD IN.
THAT CAN VARY SIGNIFICANTLY DEPENDING ON WHAT FUNCTIONALITY YOU WANT THAT KIOSK TO HAVE.
THOSE INDIVIDUALLY CAN RANGE FROM FIVE TO 8,000 PER KIOSK.
NOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT CITY COUNCIL WOULD DECIDE THEY WANT TO PRIORITIZE IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT HERE, YOU MAY NOT NEED MORE THAN ONE.
AND THEN LASTLY, CAMERAS, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE YOUR MOST EXPENSIVE, WELL OVER ABOUT 20 GRAND PER CAMERA.
AND THOSE ARE SOLELY TO BE READING THE LICENSE PLATES THAT PARK IN YOUR DESIGNATED SPACES.
UM, SO SOMETHING TO NOTE, NONE OF THE IMMEDIATE CITIES AROUND HERE HAVE PAID PARKING IN THEIR DOWNTOWNS.
GEORGETOWN DOES HAVE A TWO HOUR PARKING MAXIMUM WHERE THEY THEN ASK, UM, CARS TO TURN OVER AND THEY HAVE PART-TIME, TWO PART-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT GO AND, AND MANAGE THAT THEMSELVES.
UM, THESE RATES ARE TAKEN SPECIFICALLY FROM THE CITY OF FORT WORTH AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU THEY DO FLAT RATE STRUCTURES.
UM, WELL ACTUALLY AUSTIN IS A FLAT RATE STRUCTURE AND THE CITY OF FORT WORTH DOES A COMPOUNDING SCALE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE GENERAL INFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT OPTIONS EXIST.
SO I WANTED TO END THIS CONVERSATION AND HELP MAYBE ORIENT SOME, SOME PROMPT QUESTIONS, JUST FIGURING OUT WHAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING TO INFLUENCE, WHETHER THAT IS THE TURNOVER OF CARS ON A, A ROUTINE BASIS.
IF WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND PATRONIZE THE LOCAL SHOPS AND SPEND MONEY AND THEN LEAVE, UM, THERE IS THE CAPABILITY TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND IF A RESIDENT OR A VISITOR SPENDS MONEY AT A LOCAL SHOP TO COMPLETELY VALIDATE THE PARKING, AND THAT'S NOT A COST TO THE BUSINESS OR TO THE VISITOR.
SO IT, IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ALL ARE, ARE CURIOUS ABOUT AND INVESTED IN.
SO WHO, YOU SAID THIS WAS FROM NOVEMBER? YES.
WHAT, WHAT WAS THE DISCUSSION IN NOVEMBER TO BRING BACK PAID PARKING OPTIONS DOWNTOWN? JUST TO SEE EXPLORATIVE, WHAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE? THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT CARS, UH, MAYBE JUST TAKING UP SPACE AND, AND NOT TURNING OVER AND NOT CONTRIBUTING TO LOCAL DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME GENERAL OPTIONS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST.
WAS THERE LIKE AN EVENT THAT HAPPENED THAT WE SAW ISSUES WITH THAT? DO YOU REMEMBER? NOT TO MY RECOLLECTION.
I JUST THINK IT'S WILD TO, I MEAN, NO OFFENSE, BUT OFFENSE IS GONNA BE TAKEN, BUT IN OUR DOWNTOWN IS NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE LIFE OF THE PARTY AND WE'RE LOOKING HERE TO START CHARGING FOR PARKING.
UM, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT AND THE IDEA, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE MATURE ENOUGH TOWN TO EVEN BEGIN TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON CHARGING FOR PARKING.
UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO BETTER THE DOWNTOWN AND BRING MORE THINGS IN.
AND SO STARTING TO CHARGE, I JUST THINK THAT COULD START TO DETER PEOPLE FROM EVEN, UM, HAVING ANY INTEREST IN OUR DOWNTOWN, WHETHER THAT'S TO DO BUSINESS OR TO SHOP.
AND SO, UM, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S JUST WHERE I LAND.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT THAT'S JUST WILD TO ME THAT WE WOULD EVEN CONSIDER CHARGING FOR PARKING.
BRIAN, I'M GONNA AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, I MIGHT HAVE A SMALL INTEREST IN DOWNTOWN, SO HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT A CONFLICT FOR ME TO SAY, BUT, UM, I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH PARKING DOWNTOWN IS NOT THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF IT.
UM, PERSONALLY I THINK THAT THERE'S BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN THAT ARE GOUGING THEMSELVES BY ALLOWING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO PARK IN FRONT OF THEIR, THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT OTHER DOWNTOWN OWNERS DON'T NECESSARILY APPRECIATE THAT DO TAKE UP PARKING FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER CONCERN IS THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
UM, I WOULD AGREE THAT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK PAID PARKING IS THE ANSWER.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY SORT OF, WELL, I'LL JUST SAY IT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S UP TO US TO DECIDE THAT.
I THINK IT'S UP TO THE, TO THE DOWNTOWN TO DECIDE THAT.
AND I THINK THEY NEED TO, UM, THEY NEED TO PUT IN THEIR OWN RULES AND REGULATIONS
[00:30:02]
IN REGARDS TO PARKING.UM, I THINK THEY NEED TO GOVERN THEMSELVES.
OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL, LIKE TAKE PARKING AND, AND PUT SOMETHING IN THE STREET WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY PAID PARKING'S, NOT IT, OUR DOWNTOWN IS NOT ROBUST ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THIS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE, AND I HOPE THAT IT IS, AND MAYBE ONE DAY IT WILL BE.
BUT RIGHT NOW I, I THINK PAID PARKING IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS AND I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S SOME SOLUTIONS WE SHOULD LOOK AT, NOT RELATED TO PAID PARKING.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON IT.
SO BACK IN NOVEMBER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ACTUALLY BROUGHT THE ITEM UP, UM, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AND, UM, AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF PARKING.
NOW, IT MAY BE, UH, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S THERE, COUNCIL PORTERFIELD SAID THERE'S SOME BUSINESSES THAT WILL COME IN AND THEY HOLD ONE EVENT AND EVERY PARKING SPOT ON FRIDAY NIGHT'S TAKEN.
AND SO THEN I GET CALLS FROM BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERY TIME THEY'RE HERE, MY SALES ARE DOWN.
I KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE AN EVENT, I I LOSE SALES.
UM, THEN WE ALSO GOT THE ISSUE OF, I MEAN EVERYBODY WANTS DOWNTOWN TO GROVE, BUT WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING TO HELP IT? SO YOU'VE GOT THE GROWTH OF DOWNTOWN AND SOME PEOPLE'S EYES APPEARS TO BE STALLING BECAUSE YOU HAVE BUSINESSES CLOSING.
AND JUST IN THE PAST YEAR WE HAD HUDDLE FLOUR.
THE DENTIST LEFT THE DAYCARE AND MARY MADISON COOKIES OF ALL LEFT OR ON THEIR WAY LEAVING DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY NEW COMING DOWNTOWN AND OR BUSINESSES NOT COMING IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
WE COULD HAVE HAD 600 DEGREES COME THERE READY, BUT THEY COULDN'T GET PAST, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PARKING IS.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE PARK 20 EMPLOYEES ARE UNDER PATRONS.
AND THEN MESQUITE CREEK OUTFITTERS, WHO'S BIG IN DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN, WANTED TO COME TO HU AND THEY HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
THEY LOOKED AROUND, THEY SAID, WHERE, WHERE DO WE PARK A HUNDRED PEOPLE AT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT? WHERE DO THEY PARK? AND SO WE'RE NOT GETTING THINGS IN DOWNTOWN THAT WOULD MAYBE SPUR OTHER PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE, IF YOU EVER GO TO DOWNTOWN ROUND ROCK ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, THERE'S A LOT OF HUD PEOPLE.
I DON'T GO DOWN THERE REGULARLY, BUT WHEN I GO DOWN THERE, I RUN TO A LOT OF HUD PEOPLE BECAUSE DOWN THERE THEY GET TIRED OF THIS ONE PLACE AFTER AN HOUR THEY WANNA GO TO ANOTHER ONE AND ANOTHER ONE.
BUT AT HUDA YOU'VE GOT ONE OPTION AND IF YOU DON'T WANT THAT OPTION, YOU GO WHERE THERE'S OTHER.
AND SO HOW DO WE BRING MORE OPTIONS IN? I GUESS IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT COMES FIRST.
THE PARKING OR THE BUSINESSES AND THE BUSINESSES, ACCORDING TO MANY LANDOWNERS ARE NOT READY TO SIGN LONG-TERM LEASES AND PUT THE INVESTMENT IN UNTIL THEY KNOW THERE'S A PLAN.
UM, WE DID HAVE A PREVIOUS CONSULTANT COME THROUGH OUR 2040.
I SAID THEY, UH, HE, THEY SAID WE HAD ENOUGH PARKING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT MAY BE TRUE IN DOWNTOWN URBAN AUSTIN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE CASE IN THE SUBURBS.
UM, AND I DO KNOW FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, MANY OF THEM LOOK IMMEDIATELY.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A LOT OF EMPLOYEES TAKING THEIR FRONT PARKING SPOTS.
'CAUSE IF YOU GO IN DOWNTOWN EIGHT 30, THERE'S PARKING EVERYWHERE BY NINE 30 IT'S ALL TAKEN UP.
AND I CAN ONLY THINK THAT A LOT OF THAT IS THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOW COMING INTO WORK.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE START OF, WE HAVE THE START, WHICH CAUSES IN NOVEMBER START OF A PARKING WAR BETWEEN BUSINESSES.
WE HAVE SOME BUSINESSES PUT UP THE 30 MINUTE PARKING ONLY.
UM, AND SOME MAY HAVE RESERVED, UH, AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO COME THROUGH THAT PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE HAVE WRITTEN LETTERS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ORDINANCES FOR.
SO IF ALL THESE BUSINESSES DOWN THERE START CLAIMING PARKING SPOTS, WHO'S IN CONTROL OF THIS? AND AND HOW DO YOU ENFORCE THAT? AND WE'RE ALREADY HAVING A PROBLEM WITH, WE HAVE A BUSINESS OWNER, A LANDOWNER WHO HAS AN AGREEMENT THAT SAYS YOU GET TWO PARKING SPOTS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ORDINANCES.
SO THE POLICE CAN'T ENFORCE THE ACTION.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S LEADING ME TO THIS THING IS WE GOTTA FIGURE THIS OUT BECAUSE PARKING'S AN ISSUE.
SO I'VE TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER A LOT.
I'VE TALKED TO SOME BUSINESS PEOPLE, I'VE TALKED TO SOME LANDOWNERS AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY'S ADVOCATING FOR PAID PARKING.
BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THESE FIVE OPTIONS, I THINK EVERYBODY COME TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU DO ANYTHING WITH PARKING DOWNTOWN, IT'S PAID PARKING BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT OPTION ONE EXCEPT FOR OPTION ONE IS THE ONLY ONE.
AND PEOPLE FEND FOR THEMSELVES.
AND BUSINESSES PUT THINGS UP TO SAY, YOU CAN'T PARK HERE.
OPTION TWO, THE CITY CAN GO OUT AND BUY LAND AND THEY CAN BUILD A PARKING GARAGE.
THE ONE OUT HERE IS $20 MILLION.
THE DEBT SERVICE ON 20 MILLION A LOAN IS 1.5 MILLION.
IF YOU STRUCTURED OVER 30 YEARS AT FOUR POINT A HALF PERCENT, WHICH
[00:35:01]
IS KIND OF WHAT OUR BOND NUMBERS ARE.SO THAT'S ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
EVERYBODY'S TAXES WOULD GO UP BUSINESSES.
SO EVERYBODY'S GONNA PAY FOR PARKING.
45,000 PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR THAT PARKING, UM, WHETHER THEY USE IT OR NOT.
SO THAT'S IN MY MIND, THAT'S PAYING FOR PARKING.
OPTION THREE, THE DEVELOPER COULD COME BY AND BUILD IT.
SOMEONE COME BY, THEY HAVE AN ACRE OF LAND AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS PLACE IS OUTTA PARK.
I'M GONNA PUT 20 MILLION IN BUILD A PARKING GARAGE.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO HAD BUILT A PARKING GARAGE WITHOUT CHARGING FOR A SPOT, BUT IT COULD HAPPEN.
UH, AS I SEE THE COMBO OF THE CITY, THE EDC AND DEVELOPERS ON STRUCTURING SOMETHING TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE BUILD A PARKING GARAGE, AS I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF THE LANDOWNERS, I SAID, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE CITY CAN SPEND A MILLION AND A HALF YEAR IN DEBT SERVICE BUILDING A PARKING GARAGE WHEN WE DON'T CONTROL THE BUSINESSES ARE THERE.
SO IF WE BUILT THAT AND WE HAVE A CHIROPRACTOR AND A DENTIST AND SERVICE BUSINESSES, WE DON'T GET ANY SALES TAX.
AND SO IF WE'RE NOT GETTING SALES TAX, HOW DO WE PAY FOR THIS? SO HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND WE'RE TAKING 20 MILLION AWAY FROM AN INTERSECTION, A POLICE STATION, A PUBLIC WORKS BUILD A PARKING GARAGE.
BUT IF THE LANDOWNERS HELPED DEFRAY A PORTION OF THAT COST AND THEN THE EDC THROUGH THEIR ARM THIS YEAR, THEIR FOCUS IS DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THEY PUT MONEY IN AND THEN THE CITY FIGURED OUT, OKAY, HERE'S HOW THE OTHER PART OF IT, WHATEVER THE PERCENTAGES ARE, I COULD SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU BUILD THAT PARKING GARAGE, THAT'S GONNA BE DOWNTOWN PARKING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU BUILD A PARKING GARAGE AND THERE NOT BE SOME SYSTEM PUT IN PLACE TO WHERE WHEN YOU GET IN, YOU CAN BE IN THAT GARAGE FOR AN HOUR, BUT IF YOU'RE IN THERE MORE THAN AN HOUR, YOU PAY $3 AN HOUR TO BE THERE.
OTHERWISE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A $20 MILLION GARAGE WITH PEOPLE PARKING AGAIN, WHO'S PAYING FOR IT? AND MAYBE WE DECIDE AS A COUNCIL, WE JUST BORROW THE MONEY AND EVERYBODY PAYS FOR IT.
AND THEN THERE'S AN IDEA, THERE'S A LANDOWNER THAT OWNS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LAND OR IN THE AREA AND THERE'S A DEAL.
PREVIOUSLY I BROUGHT UP LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BUILD PART OF E STREET.
WHAT IF WE INCENTIVIZE A LANDOWNER TO BUILD A BUILDING AND AT CO WE CUT THEM A CHECK, UM, THAT WE WOULD'VE GIVE THEM AS AN INCENTIVE.
BUT THAT CHECK IS THERE TO, THAT WAS THE INCENTIVE FOR THEM GOING VERTICAL.
'CAUSE ONCE THEY GO VERTICAL, YOU CAN TAX IT.
SO THERE'S IDEAS WHERE YOU COULD WORK WITH A LANDOWNER AND SAY, OKAY, HOW DOES IT LOOK TO WHERE WE HELP YOU BUILD A STRUCTURE? AND IT'S PARTLY ON YOUR LAND.
THE CITY OWNS I THINK A QUARTER ACRE AND THE CITY OWNS THE SPOT.
IF YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO, YOU GOT A PRETTY GOOD SIZED PARKING GARAGE THAT CAN BE BUILT.
BUT IF ONE LANDOWNER IS NOT IN THE SELLING MODE, WELL, I'M NEVER GONNA BE IN, IN, IN UH, SUPPORTIVE EMINENT DOMAINING LAND FOR A PARKING GARAGE.
BUT IF YOU WORK WITH SOMEONE, SOMEONE OUT THERE IS GONNA SAY, WELL WHY DO THEY GET THE BENEFIT? WHY ARE THEY GETTING RENT FROM THE CITY? BUT THAT'S WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
SO I SEE THE ISSUE IS THE LACK OF PARKING AND NOT ATTRACTING BUSINESSES AND IS STRUGGLING.
AND I SEE THE OPTIONS OF EITHER DOING NOTHING OR DOING SOME FORM THAT SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT EITHER THROUGH TAX INCREASES OR IN EFFECT USER FEES.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ON STREET PARKING IF YOU BUILD A GARAGE, BUT I THINK IF YOU BUILD A GARAGE, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.
AND I KNOW OTHER CITIES HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT, BUT ROUND ROCK IS THREE TIMES OUR SIZE AND THEY JUST BUILT A PARKING GARAGE.
SO WE COULD WAIT TILL WE GET TO A HUNDRED SOMETHING THOUSAND PEOPLE AND BUILD A PARKING GARAGE.
OR WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE'S A WAY TO BUILD A PARKING GARAGE.
AND THE WAY THE MATH WORKS OUT WITH THE EDC PITCHING IN AND WITH, YOU KNOW, THESE PROPERTY OWNERS PITCHING IN, SINCE THEY'RE GONNA BENEFIT, WE HAVE TO CHARGE AFTER AN HOUR.
WE HAVE TO CHARGE X AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE PARKING GARAGE PARKING, THAT'S FINE.
YOU CAN PARK ON THE STREET, BUT THERE'S ONLY 140 PARKING SPOTS.
AND SO WHEN WE GET A MESQUITE CREEK OR WE GET A 600 DEGREES, YOU MAY HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING A PARKING.
JUST LIKE IF YOU GO TO DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN, DON'T GO THERE 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE PARTY.
YOU NEED TO BE A HALF HOUR AND BRING YOUR WALKING SHOES 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND SOME PARKING.
SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK PAID PARKING MAKES SENSE.
IF YOU BUILD A PARKING GARAGE, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF REVENUE OR SOME KIND OF WAY TO OFFSET THE COST OF THAT.
UM, OTHERWISE I SEE US KICKING US DOWN THE ROAD ANOTHER FIVE OR 10 YEARS AT THAT POINT, THERE'S NOTHING.
AND I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN WHEN I GO IN A HUDDLE WINE BAR BEG THAT I HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE TO GET WINE THAT YOU'RE LIKE, IT'S SO FREAKING BUSY.
BUT YOU CAN'T GET THE PEOPLE IN THERE.
AND I DON'T WANNA SPEND FOUR HOURS IN HOW A WINE BAR DRINK AND WINE.
I WANNA START OFF MY NIGHT THERE AND THEN I WANT TO GO TO SOME OTHER UNNAMED PLACE THAT IT DOESN'T EXIST.
AND THEN I WANNA FINISH IT AT UH, UH, HALL
[00:40:01]
OF FAME MAYBE.AND TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA HAVE OTHER PEOPLE COME DOWN.
WE GOTTA PARK SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
SO THAT'S WHERE I SEE A LOT OF THIS GOING.
THE PROBLEM IS NO ONE'S GONNA BE, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET EVERYBODY HAPPY WITH WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO DO.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE REALLY WANT HATO TO BENEFIT IN DOWNTOWN OF BOSTON, WE HAVE A GREAT START.
I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET OTHER PEOPLE TO STOP LEAVING HATO AND TO COME INTO HATO AND GO, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S, IT'S WORTH IT.
BUT I THINK IT TAKES A, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOMETHING BOLD FROM THE COUNCIL THAT 10 YEARS FROM NOW THAT PEOPLE LOOK BACK AND GO, DID THEY COULD WORK.
BUT THESE GUYS SOMEHOW BUILT A PARKING GARAGE AND NOW WE GOT BUILDINGS GOING UP AND WE'RE MAKING 'EM HISTORICAL.
AND UM, IT LOOKS LIKE IT DID BACK, UH, 1920.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, UM, IN NOVEMBER WHERE MY HEAD WAS AND TALKING TO PEOPLE AND KIND OF NOW TO SEE ONE PIECE.
AND I THINK THERE'S MORE TO PAID PARKING THAN ON STREET.
I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR PAID IN THE GARAGE IF IT WERE TO GET BUILT.
SO WHAT, WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE WITH PAY PARKING? IS IT TURNING OVER WE, WE'VE GOT CARS THAT ARE JUST SITTING THERE FOR HOURS ON END? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX? THAT WAS THE RATIONALE IN BRINGING BACK THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, IT, YES, THAT WAS THE RATIONALE IN BRINGING BACK THE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, SOME, SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS AGENDA ITEM, IF, IF PAID PARKING WAS NOT THE SOLUTION, UM, IMPROVING CROSS STREETS FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES THAT WOULD BE ON STREET, UM, WOULD MAYBE A LOT FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING AVAILABILITY.
IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS THE, THE PATH THAT COUNCIL CHOOSES TO PURSUE.
YEAH, BECAUSE I'M, I'M, I THINK I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH PROBABLY MOST EVERYONE THAT I DON'T THINK PAID PARKING IS THE ANSWER.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE COULD BE SOLVED IN OTHER WAYS OTHER THAN TRYING TO CHARGE FOR PARKING.
'CAUSE I, I THINK THIS WOULD, WOULD CAUSE FEWER PEOPLE TO GO DOWNTOWN RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, IT MAY SOLVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROBLEM OF LONG-TERM PARKING, BUT REALLY IN MY OPINION, THE WAY I, I THINK IT, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PARKING THERE FOR HOURS ON END ARE THE EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE BUSINESSES.
AND SO THE, IF THE BUSINESS OWNER WANTS MORE PARKING, THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THAT WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES.
THEY NEED TO TELL THEIR EMPLOYEES, YOU CAN'T PARK ON E STREET.
YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WALK A LITTLE BIT.
YOU'RE GONNA MAYBE HAVE TO PARK AT THE CO-OP AND WALK TO WORK.
UM, BECAUSE IF THE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE WITH NOT HAVING ENOUGH PARKING AND THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE TAKING THE PARKING, THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE TAKING AWAY FROM THEIR BUSINESS.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, IN MY OPINION, THE WAY THAT THE BUSINESS OWNERS COULD AT LEAST SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEM.
AND I AGREE THAT I THINK THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION IS SOME KIND OF A PARKING GARAGE DOWNTOWN.
I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE WE NEED, WE NEED A PARKING GARAGE.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR IT.
AND I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT IT HAS TO BE, I THINK IT HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF A JOINT THING WITH THE CITY, WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS, WITH THE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WILLING TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT.
YOU DO SOME KIND OF A TOURS, YOU DO SOME KIND OF A THREE 80 AGREEMENT TO WHERE YOU CAN USE THAT INCREASED TAX INCREMENT TO HELP PAY THE DEBT SERVICE.
AND THEN EVERYONE'S PARTICIPATING AND THEN YOU FIGURE OUT, YEAH, DO WE, DO YOU HAVE A FREE PARKING KINDA LIKE YOU DO AT THE, UH, UH, THE AIRPORT, RIGHT? THE FIRST 30 MINUTES IS FREE AND THEN YOU STAY LONGER, YOU GOTTA PAY.
AND THAT WOULD INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE IN AND OUT.
UM, BUT IF PEOPLE WANTED TO STAY AND, YOU KNOW, BARHOP AND STAY DOWNTOWN ALL NIGHT, THEN THEN THEY WILL, THEY NEED TO PAY.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT I WAS THINKING.
SO HOW DO, HOW DO YOU GET FORCED ME TO MAKE MY EMPLOYEES NOT PARK IN FRONT OF YOUR BUILDING WALK AND CHOOSE? NO, NO.
I'M SAYING IS IF YOU, NO, I KNOW, BUT IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS AND MY EMPLOYEES NUMBER 20, LET'S SAY, AND THEY'RE TAKING UP ALL YOUR PARKING SPOTS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING BUSINESS OWNERS, THEY WANT MORE PARKING NEED TO HAVE THEIR EMPLOYEES PARK FURTHER AWAY.
BUT HOW DO YOU GET MY, HOW DO YOU GET ME TO DO THAT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, EACH BUSINESS OWNER, THEIR OWN HOLDABLE, THEY HOLD THEIRSELVES ACCOUNTABLE.
AND I ASSOCIATION, THEY COULD ALL GET TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
WE'RE IN A PART OF A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
WE ALL NEED TO AGREE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE PARKING ON THESE STREETS.
I'M LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S A YOU PROBLEM, NOT A ME MY PEOPLE CAN PARK WHERE THEY WANT.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE I THINK CITY ORDINANCES, THAT'S WHY I THINK A LOT OF DOWNTOWNS HAVE, HEY, YOU CAN ONLY PARK HERE LIKE AN HOUR, OR YOU CAN ONLY PARK HERE TWO HOURS OR SOMETHING.
TO, TO LIMIT SOME OF THAT TO WHERE YOU DON'T WANNA PENALIZE THE BUSINESS, BUT YOU DO WANT PEOPLE TO LIKE CYCLE THROUGH.
LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU SHOP.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE CITY HAS TO COME IN WITH AN ORDINANCE OF SOME SORT AND TALKING EVERYBODY AND GO, WHAT IS A FAIR THING? BECAUSE OTHERWISE I'D RATHER SEE THE BUSINESS OWNERS COME BACK AND SAY, WE WANT, WE WANT TIME, WE WANT TIME PARKING, WE WANT TWO HOUR PARKING.
I THINK THE BUSINESS OWNER, SO THE DBA
[00:45:01]
CAME BACK AND SAID THAT I'D BE WAY MORE, UH, OPEN TO IF, IF THE, IF THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION CAME BACK AND THEY SAID, WE ARE ALL ON BOARD, EVERY BUSINESS ON EAST STREET AND FARLEY STREET SAYS WE WANT TO HAVE THIS, THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD SWAY A LOT OF, OF OF MY OPINION ON WHICH WAY TO GO.BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, LIVE IT AND DIET DAY IN, DAY OUT, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME.
NOW, FOR, FOR ME, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO KIND OF WORK TOGETHER TO SEE IF THEY CAN NEGOTIATE, FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS. IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANNA BE COMPLIANT YOUR BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF STAKEHOLDERS HERE COME TO, UM, YOU CAN COME TO ME, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE CAN START FIGURING OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DECIDE ON LIKE ON A COUNCIL ACTION, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S, YOU CAN ALWAYS COMMUNICATE WHAT, WHAT YOU WANNA SEE AND WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.
AND IF THOSE BUSINESSES DON'T WANNA COMPLY, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE COMMUNITY PARKING SO THAT EVERYBODY, UM, HAS THAT TURN TURNOVER AND SPACE.
UH, WHEN AVAILABLE IN THE, UM, 2040 COMP PLAN, THERE IS A, UH, PARKING GARAGE LIKE IN THE PLAN.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UM, WRAPAROUND, BUT THE UM, PARKING GARAGE IS KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK RIGHT HERE ON EAST STREET.
AND UM, I THINK, I GUESS THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR LEGAL, BUT IS THERE A WAY WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES? OFTS ONE CO-OP RIGHT, TO INCLUDE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THE CO-OP WILL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S BUSINESSES, THERE'S TAX REVENUE THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, GENERATED THAT CAN GO INTO THE TERMS. THEN WE CAN THAT BE REINVESTED INTO BUILDING A PARKING GARAGE, UM, HERE IN OLD TOWN, RIGHT? SO THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OVER HERE, YOU KNOW, GENERATING DOLLARS TO THEN THE CITY THEN GOES TO THEM OVER HERE.
WHEREAS, I MEAN, IT'S STILL TAX DOLLARS OF COURSE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SPENDING THEIR MONEY OVER THERE IN THE CO-OP AND IT GETS MOVED FROM ONE END TO THE, BUT AT LEAST PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING THAT PART OF TOWN.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY IN 15 YEARS, 2040, WE CAN HAVE A PARKING GARAGE THERE AND PEOPLE CAN THEN ENJOY OLD TOWN THAT WILL BE BUILT UP.
THEN THERE WILL BE MORE DEVELOPMENT, UM, IN THAT AREA.
SO THAT CAN BE LIKE A, I GUESS WHAT DO YOU, I CAN THE BOUNDARIES BE CHANGED, I GUESS.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS, PROS, CONS.
YOU CAN AMEND THE BOUNDARIES TO EXPAND IT TO INCLUDE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE CONTIGUOUS TO THE TURS.
YOU CAN AMEND THE PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN.
YOU CAN FUND A PROJECT OUTSIDE THE TURS AS LONG AS IT BENEFITS THE TURS.
SO YOU WOULD LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.
YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S SOMETHING MAYBE COUNCIL CAN THINK ABOUT CONSIDERING TALK THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT LIKE, UH, BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO THE RESIDENTIAL PARKING, RIGHT? THAT GOES BACK TO KIND OF OUR PLAN FOR FIRST STREET.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF IN TANDEM.
SO, UM, JUST KIND OF WHAT WE WANNA DO IF WE WANNA DO ONE WAY WITH, YOU KNOW, ON STREET PARKING, UH, BECAUSE TWO-WAY AND PARKING DOESN'T OUT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, I GUESS THE DIMENSIONS AND KIND OF LIKE GET INTO THE WEEDS ON I GUESS, WIDTHS OF ROADS.
WHAT IS ABLE TO BE EXPANDED, WHAT'S NOT.
UM, EAST, EAST STREET OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S WIDE, UH, LIVE OAK WIDE.
WE CAN HAVE SIDEWALKS, WE CAN HAVE TWO WAY, YOU KNOW, BUT SOME OF THESE OTHER STREETS, IT'S JUST NOT, NOT A POSSIBILITY.
SO WE THEN THAT CAN GO BACK TO WHICH WAY DO WE WANT TO DO, DO WE WANT PARKING ON THE STREET FOR LIKE FESTIVALS DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVENTS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER, UH, CONVERSATION.
BUT DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, IF ANY OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS DOWNTOWN HAVE ANY KIND OF SOLUTIONS TO, UH, PARKING, I'M DEFINITELY ALL EARS FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE AT THE POINT WHERE PAID PARKING IS AN OPTION, SO, BUT YEAH, I DON'T THINK PAID PARKING IS, IS THE SOLUTION.
I THINK, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMP PLAN, THAT'S NOT REALLY IN THE PLAN TO HAVE A PARKING GARAGE.
IT'S JUST A CONCEPT DRAWING OF SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED ON THAT LOT.
IF SOMEBODY CAME IN AND WANTED TO DEVELOP IT, NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WAS SAYING WE WERE GONNA PUT YEAH.
BUT IT'S A VISION, RIGHT? IT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW.
BUT, BUT I MEAN TO SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT IN 2040, IT'S NOT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE GET, IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN, YOU CAN SAY AS A GOAL, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CITY WAS GONNA PROVIDE.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES.
I THINK PART THE PARKING GARAGE IN THE LONG TERM MAKES SENSE.
BUT A PARKING GARAGE RIGHT NOW IS JUST WAY BEYOND WHAT, WHAT WE REALLY NEED TODAY AND WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TODAY.
I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE.
AND LIKE, ONE OF THE THINGS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE GOING NEED TO BE REDEVELOPED.
IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A GROWING DOWNTOWN AND MAYBE SOMEBODY IS, COMES IN AND DOES, HAS A STRIP OF LAND, THE SEVERAL LOTS AND THEY'RE GONNA REDEVELOP THAT BLOCK AND MAYBE THEY START AT ONE END AND THEY TEMPORARILY USE THE
[00:50:01]
OTHER END OF THE BLOCK AS, AS OFF STREET PARKING TO ENABLE THEM TO START BUILDING AND BRINGING IN TAX REVENUE.AND THEN WHEN THAT REACHES A CERTAIN POINT, THEN THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT PARKING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, PUT STRUCTURED PARKING ON THAT PROPERTY.
SO I THINK THERE'S WAYS TO DO IT THAT ARE STAGED OVER TIME THAT MAYBE GIVE US A LITTLE MORE HELP IN THE SHORT TERM AND THEN LONGER TERM, BUT THEY, THEY REQUIRE OTHER PEOPLE TO COME IN AND SPEND MONEY HERE TO DO IT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY, UM, NEEDS TO BE GOING OUT AND BUILDING A $20 MILLION PARKING GARAGE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP EXPLORING, EXPLORING ALL THE POSSIBILITIES AND, AND FIND INCREMENTAL PROGRESS WHERE WE CAN TODAY WITH A LONG-TERM GOAL IN MIND.
[3.3. Discussion and possible action related to Work Session topics]
DISCUSSION.POSSIBLE ACTION RELATED TO WORK CITIZEN TOPICS.
UM, I GUESS DISCUSSION ON, OR AN ITEM ON POTENTIALLY EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TURS IMPLICATIONS, I GUESS RUN NUMBERS ON, UH, FEASIBILITY AND HOW IT COULD BENEFIT OR MAY NOT.
ANY OTHER THINGS? WE LOOK AT THAT WORKSHOP WE DISCUSSED WITH THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES FOR THE STREETS.
SO STREET WORKSHOP RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.