Title
Briefing on Draft Parking Strategy and Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) Updates
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to recommend the proposed parking strategy and OMC updates and forward to City Council for consideration.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend the Draft Parking Strategy, proposed OMC updates and phase one action implementation and forward to full Council for consideration.
Staff Contact:
Max DeJarnatt, Parking Program Analyst, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3723
Presenter(s):
Max DeJarnatt, Parking Program Analyst
Background and Analysis:
The Downtown Strategy was adopted in April 2017, and is aligned with our City’s Comprehensive Plan. The Downtown Strategy calls for a Downtown Parking Strategy to support a stable and thriving downtown economy by providing people with access to predictable short and long-term parking.
Community Planning & Development contracted with consulting firm Framework to develop an evidence-based Parking Strategy, using the parking industry’s best practices to map out efficient uses of new and existing parking assets. The study relied on an eight person advisory committee representing an array of downtown business, neighborhood, and commuter groups, a general online survey, and interviews with 12 key stakeholders.
The attached draft Downtown Parking Strategy provides short, mid, and long-term actions to support downtown goals. Strategic focus areas include:
1. Tools to Manage the Parking Program and Enforcement and Improve Customer Convenience
2. Improve On-Street Parking
3. Reinvigorate Off-Street Parking
4. Improve Access to Downtown
5. Residential and Employee Parking
6. Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Uses
7. Improve Disabled Parking Management
Phase I and Next Steps
The full strategy has not yet been adopted, however in November 2017 the Council directed staff to begin implementation of short-term Phase I actions. Accordingly, in 2018 Community Planning and Development hired a Parking Program Analyst and implemented new technology, including parking PayByPhone, an online portal, and license plate recognition.
In addition to adoption of the Parking Strategy by City Council this fall, recommended priorities are to explore the feasibility of a parking structure, consider implementation of meter and permit price increases, deploy a downtown employee outreach/education program to transition longer-term employee parking to off-street facilities, and spearhead a city-led voluntary shared parking pilot program with private lot owners surrounding the Entertainment character area.
OMC updates
In addition, this report includes an overview of recommended house-keeping updates to the Olympia municipal code relating to parking (table attached).
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
A 2015 survey of downtown businesses revealed that parking is a top concern for businesses and customers.
Options:
1. Move to forward the proposed parking strategy and OMC updates to City Council for consideration.
2. Move to forward the proposed parking strategy to City Council, but do not consider proposed code updates at this time.
3. Move to forward the proposed changes to the parking code to City Council, but do not consider the draft parking strategy at this time.
4. Move that City Council does not consider the proposed parking strategy or code changes at this time.
Financial Impact:
Costs to implement the parking strategy will vary.
Attachments:
Draft Parking Strategy
OMC Updates Summary