Staff recommends more parking lots, pay and display

Administrator | Aug 13, 2014 | Comments 87

Changes to parking may soon unfold in Picton.

Councillors, at Thursday’s committee of the whole meeting, will review a report from the Community Development Department that recommends:

-The south side of Picton Main Street from Lake Street to the Royal LePage property be converted from free to metered parking

-The installation of ‘pay and display’ metered parking in Market Lane be approved subject to the establishment of additional free parking in Picton’s downtown core;

-That council endorses the creation of a Cash-In-Lieu of Parking Bylaw;

-That the municipal property on York Street be identified for parking expansion and that the cost of converting this property to a gravel parking lot be included in the 2015 budget;

-That the municipal property on King Street in front of Benson Hall be identified for parking expansion and that the cost of converting this property to a paved parking lot be included in the 2015 budget;

-That council endorses investigation of further parking management changes including the replacement of traditional meters with pay-and-display meters, the addition of weekend parking enforcement and an increase in hourly parking meter rates; and

– That staff be directed to investigate the potential of acquiring land in Picton and Wellington for the expansion of public parking.

In 2010 a Downtown Picton Parking study was completed by the IBI Group which provided recommendations to improve availability and management of parking in Picton’s downtown core.

Some actions were taken following the study, others, including land acquisition, establishment of new lots, cash in lieu of parking and other revenue generating approaches were not implemented.

Staff created a report, recommending implementing a number of the study’s recommendations, to create funding for parking expansion in Picton and other parts of the County and to identify future locations for parking expansion.

In 2010, council implemented two of 13 recommendations – updating signage at the Mary Street and Market Lane off-stree parking lots and installing 18 marked parking spaces with no meters on the south side of Main Street between Lake Street and the Royal LePage Real Estate.

In 2012, recommendations were again brought forward but not implemented. However, a meter rate increase to 75 cents, from 50 cents per hour was approved.

The report states recent development pressures in Picton and Wellington have brought the issue of parking to the forefront.

“Staff and developers are struggling to identify parking solutions for proposed new developments and to address the increasing tourism traffic in the County’s downtown cores,” the report states. “These problems could hinder business development which would bring with it new employment and tax assessment.”

The 2010 parking study says there are 750 public spaces within Picton’s core and along key roads leading to and from the downtown. Many of these on-street spaces are designated for specific users including taxis, police and specific businesses.

From the report:

York Street
In the 2010 parking study, municipal property on York Street (south of Main Street) was identified as a location for the establishment of a parking lot within the core. This would allow for up to 70 additional parking spaces; however, the property is located at the bottom of a fairly steep hill making it only suitable for long-stay (employee) parking and unattractive for visitor & patrons parking when considering accessibility needs and mobility issues.
As a means of reducing the impacts of long-stay parking in areas which should be geared to short-stay visitor parking, this property represents an immediate, if temporary, solution, provided measures are taken to discourage long-stay parking at downtown lots and on-street spaces closer to Main Street.
The estimated cost of converting this land from grassy open space to a gravel parking lot initially is $180,000.00. Based on an average price per square metre of $55.00, an additional $185,350.00 or $2,600 per space would be required to pave this lot at some point in the future.
Staff recommends that Council identify this lot for parking expansion and commit the funds required in the 2015 budget to convert it to a gravel lot.
King Street – Benson Hall
In addition to York Street, staff has identified a portion of the municipal property on King Street in front of Benson Hall as having potential for 15 – 20 additional parking spaces within the core. This property was once the location of a single tennis court that has since fallen into a state of disrepair.
All that remains of the court at this time is the asphalt which has cracked and heaved. While representing only a modest increase in parking, this site is attractive because:
It is within the downtown core
It is connected to Main Street via an existing walkway alongside the Marine Archives Building
Removal of the old fencing and increased use of the area would increase the visibility and profile of Benson Hall and the public park
The land is already owned by the Municipality and could be easily and quickly converted into additional parking
Using the same average price per square metre of $55.00 for preparation and paving, the cost of converting the Benson property to a paved parking lot would be approximately $40,000 or between $2,000 and $2,700 per space depending on the configuration.
Staff recommends that Council identify this lot for parking expansion and commit the funds required in the 2015 budget to convert it to a paved parking lot.