HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/18/2002 - STAFF REPORTS (21) DATE: December 18, 2002
TO: City Council
FROM: Assistant City Manager- Administration
SUBJECT: Approval of a Resolution Setting Parking Time Limits and Establishing
Enforcement Hours in Public Parking Lots and Structures in the Central
Business District
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council approve Resolution No._ setting parking
time limits and establishing enforcement hours in public parking lots and structures in the
Central Business District.
SUMMARY:
The City owns and operates six (6) public parking lots and one (1) parking structure in
the Central Business District. The City Council has by resolution established a three (3)
hour parking limit in all public parking lots. This limit is enforced from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00
p.m. daily. Several downtown businesses have expressed concern that the current
hours of enforcement do not adequately cover employee shift changes. These
businesses have requested that the hours of enforcement be extended by one hour to
8:00 p.m. to ensure that employees who report to work between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. are
subject to the same parking time restrictions as other employees who come to work
earlier in the day. The businesses that have requested this change believe that this will
free up parking for their patrons by forcing employees who report to work later in the day
to consider other parking options.
BACKGROUND:
On February 6, 2002, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 20272 setting a three (3)
hour parking limit from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily in all six (6) public parking lots in the
Central Business District.
The new downtown parking structure was completed after this Resolution was adopted.
Because the downtown parking structure has not been officially added to the list of
designated parking facilities, the City Attorney believes that the City lacks the legal
authority to enforce its current parking time restrictions at the parking structure until this
situation is resolved.
Recently, several businesses voiced concern regarding the current hours of enforcement
in the downtown parking structure and public parking lots. Although the downtown
parking structure has added over 250 public parking spaces, including 123 employee
parking spaces, these businesses are concerned that the City's current hours of
enforcement do not adequately cover employee shift changes. These businesses have
suggested that the hours of enforcement should be extended from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
to discourage employees that arrive later in the day from using public parking lots and
potentially taking parking from patrons.
The City Council has the authority to specify, by resolution, regulations including the
allowable maximum and/or minimum parking time restrictions and hours of enforcement
for designated parking areas and facilities within the City. Specifically, Section 5.38.040
of the Municipal Code states:
Ito
"The City Council by resolution may designate vehicle parking areas and
facilities including metered lots, streets and other facilities pertaining
thereto which will be metered. The resolution(s) may specify the
regulations pertaining to each vehicle parking facility,including parking
rates or fees, allowable maximum and/or minimum parking time limits,
special validation programs, incentive parking programs, preferential
employee parking, valet parking and long-term rental parking. The
resolutions may be amended from time-to-time to reflect then current
conditions."
The proposed Resolution adds the downtown parking structure to the list of designated
parking facilities for enforcement purposes. In addition, the Resolution extends the
hours of enforcement in all public parking lots and the downtown parking structure to
8:00 p.m. daily. Staff believes that this change will improve parking availability in public
lots by forcing employees who report to work later in the day to consider other parking
options.
MainStreet has discussed and fully supports the concept of extending the hours of
enforcement from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
If the City Council approves the proposed resolution, there will be a nominal cost to
change the existing signage in all public parking lots to reflect the new hours of
enforcement. In addition, the City will likely incur some additional enforcement cost.
Although the actual costs are not entirely known at this time, staff does not anticipate
that they will be significant.
TTr . Butzl i ant City Manager-Administration
APPROVED _1i�1
City Manager
Attachments:
1. Resolution
��Z
RESOLUTION NO.
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, SETTING PARKING LIMITS
AND ESTABLISHING HOURS OF ENFORCEMENT IN
CITY-OWNED PARKING LOTS AND STRUCTURES IN
THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
WHEREAS, the City of Palm Springs, California, owns and operates six (6) parking lots in
the downtown area which provide 460 parking spaces; and
WHEREAS, the City recently completed construction of a new parking structure which
provides 251 public parking spaces; and
WHEREAS, the City's intended use of those parking spaces is for patrons of downtown
businesses; and
WHEREAS, the Downtown has become such a successful business district that available
patron parking is difficult to find; and
WHEREAS, employees are now utilizing the City parking lots and severely reducing
available patron parking; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is desirous of once again ensuring that patron parking is
available; and
WHEREAS, Section 5.35.040 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code authorizes the City
Council to specify by resolution, regulations governing the use of designated parking areas
and facilities within the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that a three (3) hour parking limit from 9:00 a.m.
to 8:00 p.m. daily is hereby established for the six (6) City-owned downtown parking lots,
identified as the Blue Coyote, Lobster Company, Las Casuelas, Vineyard, Plaza Mercado
and Henry Frank Arcade lots, and the Downtown Parking Structure.
ADOPTED THIS day of 200_
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
By:
City Clerk City Manager
REVIEWED & APPROVED AS TO FORM: