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CC - FOUR FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: (1) Continued Discussion of the Existing Permit Parking Restrictions on the 10700 Block of Farragut Drive; (2) Consideration of the Request from Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, (4427 Overland Avenue), to Change the Existing Farragut Parking Restrictions; (3) Consideration of a Parking Study to Evaluate the Need for Existing Farragut Parking Restrictions and, if Such Parking Study is Directed, (A) Adoption of a Related Resolution Directing a Parking Study, Temporarily Suspending the Existing Farragut Parking Restrictions, Authorizing Temporary Removal of Existing Permit-Only Parking Restriction Signs; and Authorizing the Pro-Rata Reimbursement of the Costs of Permits Previously Issued for the 10700 Block of Farragut Drive; (B) Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with KOA Corporation to Conduct the Parking Study in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $35,428; and (C) Approval of a Related Budget Amendment (Requires Four-Fifths Vote); and (4) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Contact Person/Dept: Gabe Garcia/PWD
Phone Number: (310) 253-5633
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Commission Name:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/03/16 and03/10/16); (Mail) Residents of the 10700 block of Farragut Drive (03/01/16); (E-mail and Mail) Mr. Ilbert Phillips and Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (03/01/16)
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson, Public Work Director/City Engineer (03/08/16)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) continue discussion of the existing permit parking restrictions on the 10700 block of Farragut Drive (Farragut Parking Restrictions); (2) consider the request from Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church to change the existing Farragut Parking Restrictions; (3) consider whether to conduct a parking study to evaluate the need for the existing Farragut Parking Restrictions and, if a parking study is directed, (A) adopt a related resolution, directing the parking study, temporarily suspending the existing Farragut Restrictions, authorizing the temporary removal of existing permit-only parking restriction signs, and authorizing the pro-rata reimbursement of the cost of permits previously issued for the 10700 block of Farragut Drive; (B) approve a professional services agreement with KOA Corporation to conduct the parking study; and (C) approval of a related budget amendment (the budget amendment requires a 4/5th vote); and (4) provide other direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
On September 8, 2014, the City Council discussed the Farragut Parking Restrictions (permit-only parking, 8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday), and received input from members of the public, including representatives of Grace Lutheran Church and residents of the subject block. The City Council discussed a possible parking study to determine the existing parking intrusion impacts on the 10700 block of Farragut Drive (as well as on the immediately adjacent residential blocks) to determine if the present parking occupancy and parking intrusion criteria are met to warrant the existing permit-only parking restrictions. A decision was not made by the City Council, but the City Council did determine the item would return to the City Council at a future date so the City Council could continue the discussion on this topic. Based upon the discussion held by the City Council on September 8, 2014, staff has prepared, and tonight shall present to the City Council, additional information about a possible parking study, including:
1) The parking study criteria to be met;
2) The scope of any such parking study;
3) The parking study scenario relative to the existing parking restrictions;
4) The parking study’s timeline; and
5) A recommendation regarding the performance of the parking study and its cost.
DISCUSSION
1) Parking Study Criteria to be Met
The current Procedures and Regulations for Residential Permit Parking Districts (Procedures and Regulations), adopted via Resolution 2013-R071 on November 12, 2013, provide three approaches to establishing parking restrictions in residential areas as summarized below (section references are to the Procedures and Regulations):
A. Section 7.1.B.i and 7.1.B.ii establish two pre-approved parking restrictions:
i. 2-hour parking, except with a permit, Monday through Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm; and
ii. Permit-only parking, except with a permit, daily, 5 pm to 2 am.
B. Section 7.2 provides for an expedited process to obtain parking restrictions based on certain land development projects; and,
C. Section 7.3 provides for consideration of parking restrictions based on traffic engineering studies, when the parking restrictions sought are different than the pre-approved parking restrictions indicated in Section 7.1, and when the request for parking restrictions is not based on the entitlement of a new land development project, as indicated in Section 7.2.
The parking occupancy and parking intrusion criteria to be applied to a possible parking study of the 10700 block of Farragut Drive, to determine if parking is considered to be excessively impacted on the block, and if the study findings support permit-only parking restrictions, are set forth in Section 7.3.1.C, and indicate that, on at least six (6) occasions during a three (3) week period, the following minimum criteria shall be met:
A. More than seventy-five percent (75%) of the legal on-street parking spaces are occupied by resident and non-resident motor vehicles; and
B. More than fifty percent (50%) of the legal on-street parking spaces are occupied by non-resident motor vehicles.
Failure to meet the criteria disqualifies the street from consideration for permit-only parking.
2) Parking Study Scope
Study Area
The proposed parking study area is the following:
i. Both sides of Farragut Drive
Between Overland Ave. and Coombs Ave.
and Between Overland Ave. and Keystone Ave.
ii. Both sides of Franklin Avenue
Between Overland Ave. and Coombs Ave.
iii. Both sides of Garfield Avenue
Between Overland Ave. and Coombs Ave.
iv. Both sides of Overland Avenue
Between Garfield Ave. and Farragut Drive
v. The east side of Coombs Avenue
Between Franklin Ave. and Farragut Drive
Parking Study Duration
Section 7.3.1.A states that “the Engineering Division shall conduct at least six (6) random field inspections during the course of a three (3) week period.”
In order to obtain more data and thereby higher confidence in the findings, twenty (20) random field inspections are recommended to be performed for the above locations. The random site visits for data collection would occur between the hours of 8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday (which are the days and hours when permit-only parking is presently in effect). Additionally, the study would include Saturday and Sunday, from 8 am to 10 pm, based on a petition from the residents, discussed later in this report.
Data to be Collected
During each of the site visits, the date and study hour would be documented, and vehicle license plate numbers and relative location of each parked vehicle in the study area are collected.
Data Analysis
At the conclusion of the parking study duration, the data collected during each study site visit would be analyzed to determine parking occupancy and parking intrusion. Such data would be compared to the criteria in the Procedures and Regulations.
It should be noted that the determination of parking intrusion by non-resident vehicles is based on identifying all vehicles that belong to residents on the block, based on the license plate registration data, versus those vehicles that do not belong to the residents on the block. In order to make this determination, the assistance of the Police Department’s Parking Enforcement Division is needed so that each license plate is reviewed in the State’s database. The Parking Enforcement Division would then return the list of the study’s license plates with an appropriate notation.
The data set of those vehicles that do not belong to the residents on the block is considered to be the parking intrusion group. However, such data set may include visitors to the residences in the study area. Therefore, parking intrusion is not 100% accurate. One way to account for this built-in inaccuracy is for residents to keep a log of their visitors’ license plates during the study period and submit it to the City. However, staff does not recommend such a log be maintained because it creates an unrealistic burden on the residents and because the timing of the parking study is unannounced (to further attempt to have as unbiased an outcome as possible).
Petition Received for Permit-Only Parking on Weekends
Subsequent to the Regular Meeting of the City Council held on September 8, 2014, staff received a petition from the residents of the 10700 block of Farragut Drive requesting that the existing parking restrictions (permit-only parking, 8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday, permit exempt) be extended to include Saturday and Sunday.
Staff validated the petition, and determined that the petition had 100% representation of the residents on the block. Staff did not take any action regarding this petition because of the process underway leading to this staff report. However, if the conduct of a parking study is directed by the City Council, the parking study findings would also include a determination as to whether the residents’ petition for weekend restrictions meets the program’s criteria.
3) Parking Study and the Existing Parking Restrictions
Temporary Removal of the Existing Permit-Only Parking Restrictions is Required
In order to obtain the most accurate parking study results, temporary removal of the existing permit-only parking restrictions is required. If the existing permit-only parking restrictions are in place during the parking study, the study would not be able to accurately measure parking occupancy or parking intrusion.
Staff conferred with KOA Corporation, one of Public Works’ on call engineering firms with ample experience conducting these types of studies, and explored scenarios under which some parking restrictions could be kept in place, as a measure of moderation over the temporary complete removal of the existing permit-only parking restrictions. However, all scenarios introduced undesirable variables into the study. Any parking restrictions left in place during the study would introduce variables that would likely affect parking behavior and the data collected during the study
Therefore, it is staff and the consultant’s opinion that the study will yield more dependable data upon which to base future decisions if the existing permit-only parking restrictions are temporarily removed during the study period. For this reason, if the City Council directs that a parking study be conducted, based on the currently-adopted Rules and Regulations, staff recommends the existing permit-only parking restrictions be temporarily suspended during the study period, and until such time as the City Council considers the results of the study (currently scheduled to occur in late June or July 2016).
If the City Council directs that a parking study be conducted, staff recommends adoption of the proposed Resolution, directing the parking study, temporarily suspending the existing parking restrictions for the 10700 block of Farragut Drive, authorizing the temporary removal of the existing permit-only parking signs (8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday, Permits Exempt), until further direction is provided by the City Council after considering the parking study findings, and authorizing the pro-rata reimbursement of the cost of permits previously issued for the 10700 block of Farragut Drive.
If the City Council determines that current permit-only restrictions will remain in place, then, no further action is required.
4) Parking Study’s Timeline
Should the City Council direct a parking study be performed, then staff recommends that the parking study period be defined as between March 29, 2016 and June 10, 2016, a duration of approximately 73 calendar days. During this period, it would take approximately 30 days for parking patterns to normalize after removal of the permit-only parking signs.
The parking study data collection would take place sometime between late April and early June, 2016.
Staff would return to the City Council to present the findings of the parking study promptly after the study’s completion and review of the study by staff and the consultant (projected to be in late June or July).
5) Parking Study Performance and Cost
There are two options for conducting the parking study: 1) by staff, or 2) by a traffic engineering consulting firm. As the City Council is aware, the Public Works Department in general and the Traffic Engineering Division in particular have sufficient existing workplan items scheduled for completion in Fiscal Year 2015/2016. While staff is competent to conduct this study, given the existing workplan items, staff recommends the City Council approve a professional services agreement with KOA to perform the parking study (should the City Council direct such a study be conducted).
Staff procured a cost proposal from KOA Corporation to conduct the parking study, which is approximately $32,207.
If the City Council determines to retain a consultant to perform the parking study, staff recommends the approval of a related budget amendment to fund the costs of the study (a budget amendment requires a 4/5th vote).
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Should the City Council approve the professional services agreement with KOA, a budget amendment is required in the amount of not-to-exceed $35,428 ($32,207, plus a 10% contingency in the amount of $3,221).
Should the City Council direct staff to remove the existing permit-only parking restrictions signs at the beginning of the parking study period, the estimated cost for staff’s time and work vehicles, will be less than $200. This cost would be covered by existing appropriations.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Staff report of September 8, 2014, Item A-3; Attachments to staff report of September 8, 2014, Item A-3; Minutes of September 8, 2014, Item A-3
RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Discuss the parking restrictions currently in effect on the 10700 block of Farragut Drive; and,
2. Consider the request from Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church to change the parking restrictions on the 10700 block of Farragut Drive; and
3. If a parking study is directed:
A. Adopt the proposed Resolution, directing the parking study, temporarily suspending the existing parking restrictions on the 10700 block of Farragut Drive, authorizing the removal of permit-only parking restriction signs (8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday, Permits Exempt), until further direction by the City Council after considering the parking study findings, and authorizing the pro-rata reimbursement of the cost of permits previously issued for the 10700 block of Farragut Drive; and,
B. Authorize the parking study to be conducted by KOA Corporation, an on-call engineering consulting firm and approve a professional services agreement with KOA in an amount not-to-exceed $35,428 ($32,207 plus a 10% contingency in the amount of $3,220.00); and,
C. Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve amendments to the professional service agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $3,220.70, if necessary; and,
D. Approve a budget amendment appropriating $35,428 from the General Fund Reserve to the Public Works Department (a budget amendment requires a 4/5ths vote); and,
E. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
F. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.
OR
4. Take no action;
OR
5. Provide other direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.