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02-09-15 Council Work Session Agenda and MaterialsCITY OF KALISPELL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015 - 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 201 FIRST AVENUE EAST CALL TO ORDER DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan and Parking District PUBLIC COMMENT MAYOR/COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER REPORTS ADJOURNMENT FOR YOUR INFORMATION City Offices will be CLOSED Monday, February 16, 2015, for Presidents' Day. Next Regular Meeting — TUESDAY, February 17, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers Next Work Session — February 23, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to attend this meeting. Please notify the City Clerk at 758-7756. R011--m 104 1 no By I le Planning Department 2011" Avenue East Kalispell, NIT 59901 Phone: (406) 758-7940 Fax: (406) 758-7739 www.!ialisell.com/planrnin� Doug Russell, City Manager Tom Jentz, Kalispell Planning Director Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan and Parking District February 9, 2015 Council Work Session BACKGROUND: The Kalispell City Planning Board met on January 13, 2015, and held a public hearing to consider the adoption of the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan. A key component of this plan is the recommendation to develop a residential parking district adjacent to Flathead High School, along 3'd Avenue West between 5 th and 9th Streets and 4th Avenue West between 8th and 9t" Streets. The planning board forwarded the request to the Kalispell City Council, with a positive recommendation, on a vote of 4 in favor and I opposed. The Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan serves as the overall guiding document that describes the process the Westside Neighborhood went through to develop solutions to a parking situation that has been an issue in the neighborhood for decades. The boundaries of the neighborhood plan are those that were originally agreed upon 2 years ago by the neighborhood committee. It encompasses a 25 block area around Flathead High and Elrod Elementary Schools and includes a summary page setting the framework for the Neighborhood Plan. It also provides goals and objectives for the neighborhood and a recommended parking district regulatory program for a 5-block area along 3rd Avenue West between 5th and 9th Streets and 4h Avenue West between 8t" and 9th Streets. It also describes the process the neighborhood went through to develop the plan, and proposed parking district and concludes with current and historical data to support the need for the creation of a parking district. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Kalispell City Council hold a work session to review the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan and associated parking district. Respectfully submitted, Tom Jentz Kalispell Planning Dept Report compiled: February 5, 2015 ATTACHMENTS: Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan dated January 14, 2015. Aimee Brunckhorst, Kalispell City Clerk DRAFT Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Plan Updated January 14, 2015 Approved by Kalispell Planning Board DRAFT Kalispell's Westside Neighborhood is defined by its quiet, tree -lined streets, historic residential architecture, and Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary. When the schools were constructed, driving to school and work and automobile parking needs, were a relatively minor concern for city and school facility planners and the residents that chose to live in the surrounding neighborhoods. The automobile, its ubiquity in American culture and its overall impact on the form and function of the community were issues for a distant future. As time wore on however, car ownership patterns and commuting behaviors changed. These changes brought with them a growing resentment among residents of the neighborhood of the preponderance of non-resident cars concentrated on the Avenues and Streets in a two to three block radius around the schools. In response to these changes, a growing student population, and an expanded footprint on the school property, School District 45 officials converted several tennis courts, as well as a number of residential properties into surface parking lots. Then, in 2007, when Glacier High School opened on the north edge of the city, residents in the outer band of the impacted areas felt a measure of relief from the parking congestion. However, there were a significant number of residents who still felt particularly burdened by the impact of spillover parking from the neighboring schools. In late 2012, a group of residents approached city leaders and asked for assistance in working toward a solution to the issue. A working committee was formed with representatives from the neighborhood, School District 45, principals from Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary, members of the PTA, and school class officers. The working committee met for 18 months and then separated into subcommittees to focus on specific issues and solutions. One such subcommittee was tasked with formulating a plan aimed at the on -street parking issue in the neighborhood and associated impacts. This parking management plan proposes the creation of a parking management district in the Westside Neighborhood in the vicinity of Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary, presents a set of goals and objectives for the district, and recommends a number of management strategies to address parking supply and demand in the management area. The plan is based on input from neighborhood residents, school officials, the broader school community, and other city residents. The plan is to be monitored to ensure its goals and objectives are being met and the strategies are having the desired effect. A. Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Community Safety: The health, safety, and welfare of all members of the community are of the utmost importance. 1.1— Prevent vehicle pedestrian collisions and serious vehicle -to -vehicle collisions. 1.2 — Keep vehicles at or below the posted "school zone" speed limit of 15 MPH. 1.3 — Violations of laws should be reported/addressed in a fair and timely manner. 1.4 — Ensure the neighborhood is a safe walking environment. 1.5 — Unrestricted emergency vehicle access throughout the neighborhood. Goal 2: Public Service Delivery: Delivery of public services should be high quality, consistent, and predictable. 2.1 Residents in the management area should have little or no degradation of public services. Goal 3: Neighborhood Tranquility: Residents have a right to quiet enjoyment of their property and surrounding environment. 3.1— Most of the residential properties in the district should have reasonable access to on street parking within 150 feet (half a block) of their front door. 3.2 — Continue efforts to maintain a litter -free, attractive neighborhood. Goal 4: Academic Access: School District 45 has a duty to provide an environment that supports students' desire to learn and become productive members of society. 4.1— Parking for students, faculty, and staff should be in close proximity to the schools they serve. Goal 5: Cost and Sustainability: Government programs should serve a specific community need and provide feedback mechanisms to evaluate efficacy and expire when no longer needed. 5.1 — Administration of the program should not create an increased financial burden on taxpayers outside of the district. 5.2 — Standards should allow for groups of residents to "opt -in" or "opt -out" of residential parking restrictions at their own discretion. Goal 6: Clear and Understandable: The residential parking permit program should be easy to enforce and comply with, efficient to administer, and enhance neighborhood quality of life. 6.1— Informational signage will be in place to clearly delineate the block face covered by the "residential parking enforcement area." 6.2 — Educational material will be distributed to the student body, the staff, and faculty to minimize parking infractions in the parking enforcement area. B. Recommendation Based on consideration of the neighborhood's original proposal, the neighborhood's compromise, the school district's compromise, and feedback from the various stakeholders; city staff offered two additional compromise solutions that took into account the school district's proposal to increase parking spaces on school property. The following recommendation blends the compromise solutions into a plan comprised of several management techniques. 1. Westside Neighborhood Parking District A. Create a Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District as shown in Figure 1 below. Within this boundary, one or more parking management techniques shall be used to address on -going parking concerns. The plan provides for adaptive management of the situation in subsequent years as management actions are implemented and monitored for desired results. 2. Elrod Elementary Neighborhood A. School District 45, in order to address parking spillover from Elrod Elementary, agrees to add approximately 35-38 parking spots at Elrod School. a. School District 45 agrees to undertake the parking expansion in 2015 in anticipation of the 2015-2016 school year, subject to school board approval. B. In acknowledgement that these improvements will sufficiently address the parking needs generated by Elrod School, no additional parking restrictions are recommended from 5I' Street West to the northern end of the Neighborhood Parking Management District. C. If parking additions are not completed by the start of the 2015-16 school year, the Elrod neighborhood shall be subject to a parking district for the area described below: a. Resident -only parking restrictions shall be extended to both sides of P Avenue West and 4I' Avenue West, north of 5I' Street West, within the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District. 3. Flathead High School Neighborhood A. School District 45 agrees to add 20 — 25 new parking spaces at Flathead High School. a. School District 45 agrees to undertake the additional parking expansion in 2015 in preparation for the 2015-2016 school year, subject to school board approval. B. In acknowledgement of this additional parking and its reduction in parking demand placed on the neighborhood, resident -only parking restrictions shall be implemented as follows: a. The resident -only parking restrictions shall be limited to P Avenue West and 41' Avenue West, south of 51' Street West and north of 91' Street West, within the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District. C. If the additional parking described in 3.A above is not provided, resident -only parking restrictions shall be implemented on all avenues south of Fifth Street West, within the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District. 4. Parking District Management A. Residents within the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District may petition the Kalispell City Council to be added or removed from the resident -only parking restrictions once the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District is established. The following criteria shall be satisfied in order to be considered for addition or removal: a. Requests to be added to or removed from resident -only parking restrictions shall be done at the block face level meaning both sides of a facing avenue. b. A petition signed by 75% of the property owners of the avenue's face shall be presented to the city on a form approved by the City of Kalispell. c. The available parking of the requested block face area(s) shall be at least 75% occupied during school hours, with 30% or more of the parked vehicles being non-resident, commuters. For example: If there are 22 spaces available, 16 or more spaces shall be regularly taken during school hours, and of those, 6 or more should be occupied by non-resident, commuters. Parking usage will be independently verified by the City of Kalispell. d. Addition and removal requests shall be made to the City of Kalispell no later than May I", for the request to take effect at the beginning of the next (upcoming) school year. e. Resident -only parking restrictions are limited to avenues only; they may not be applied to streets. B. Residents and property owners must participate in the program in order to demonstrate ongoing support and the need for the program. A lack of participation may result in removal of resident -only parking restrictions from a given block face. a. Participation in the resident -only parking restrictions is demonstrated by at least 75% of the properties with affected frontage on a resident -only parking restricted avenue purchasing one or more parking permits. For example: If there are 12 properties fronting a given avenue block face, then a minimum of 9 residences must have purchased parking permits for the preceding year. The decision to remove a given block face from resident -only parking restrictions resides with the city council and will only be done after proper notification of the affected residents and property owners. C. The cost of administration of the resident -only parking restrictions shall be borne by the users, based on a fee per permit as established by the city council. D. The city shall be responsible for the placement and maintenance of required signage notifying the public of the existence of parking restrictions. E. The following is a summary of the provisions of the on -street, resident -only parking restrictions: a. The resident -only parking restrictions shall be in effect from 8 AM to 3 PM from Monday to Friday, on days when school is in session. b. The School District may request from the city a "special events exclusion" to accommodate several high volume events that occur throughout the year at Flathead High School. In this case the neighbors/property owners would be notified by the school in advance and the parking restrictions would be suspended for that day. c. Proof of residency and/or property ownership is required to obtain an on -street resident -only parking permit. d. Proof of vehicle ownership and current registration is required for each on -street resident -only parking permit. Each registered vehicle permit entitles the permit holder to one free guest pass. There is a limit of three permits that can be issued to a resident or owner. e. A resident or owner may purchase one or more guest passes separate from a registered vehicle permit. There is no limit to the number of guest passes that a resident or owner may purchase. f. Parking permits shall be clearly displayed in the front window of the vehicle. If no permit is displayed then a parking citation shall be issued by the Kalispell Police Department. g. Contractors engaged in business shall be exempt from the resident -only parking restrictions. F. The city, in its discretion as the governing body, may amend or reduce the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District boundaries after holding a hearing before the Kalispell City Planning Board. G. The City of Kalispell will ensure that snow and leaves are removed from city streets in a timely manner in accordance with Kalispell Municipal Code (KMC Chapter 17) and the City of Kalispell policy and procedure manual. a. The snow season is the period from November 1 through March 31. On -street parking in the Westside Neighborhood Parking District will follow the City of Kalispell policy and procedure manual for snow and ice removal, which states, "Plow operators will clear avenues on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Plow operators will clear snow from streets on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. If you must park your vehicle on the public street during those times you are requested to park on the nearest adjacent street or avenue on the days when plows are operating." b. The fall leaf removal season is the period from October 1 through November 30. The City of Kalispell policy and procedure manual states that leaf removal will occur on avenues on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and streets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 2ND ST W Figure 1: Proposed Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District C. Background During late-2012 and early-2013, in response to complaints from residents in the vicinity of Flathead High School about the impact of commuter parking on the roads in the West Side Neighborhood of Kalispell, a series of community meetings were held to identify issues and possible solutions. Part of this effort included a mail -in survey of 279 of the residents in the 24- block neighborhood around Flathead High and Elrod Elementary to assess their concerns. Sixty- eight surveys (24% response rate) were returned. The top ten concerns are listed in Figure 2 below, with the percentage of respondents per each issue: Tiraslh and Litter Parking Congestion Smoking/Tobacco Use Slpee 'iing oir U Unsafe Dir v'iing Vain al'ism/Theft Disrespectful Students Noise/Loud Cairs/Mus'ic Disrupted City Services Loitering Rental conversions 7° 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70° Figure 2: Survey responses of top 10 neighborhood concerns Following a subsequent community meeting, a number of subcommittees were formed to look at and address some of the more pressing needs. Those subcommittees worked on encouraging better utilization of the school's parking lots, litter pick-up, and curbing undesirable behavior in and around the neighborhood. Another subcommittee, comprised of neighborhood residents and school district staff, was created with the main focus of addressing the on -street parking issue and the possible creation of a residential parking district. 1. What is a Residential Parking District? A residential parking district is a tool commonly used by communities to address impacts to residential neighborhoods created by large parking generators that historically have not addressed all of their parking demands. Typical examples are college campuses; high schools; hospitals; military bases; and other employment, commercial, or institutional uses. While there are many approaches, some common themes include: - A specific parking boundary, generally surrounding the parking -deficient land use; - On -street parking in the district requires a permit; - Tickets are issued if someone parks without a permit; - Permits are usually limited to residents and other specific classes of users; - Permit fees may or may not be required; and - The rules specify effective days and times. Several communities in Montana have adopted this technique. For example: - Bozeman, around Montana State University and Bozeman Senior High School, - Missoula, around the University of Montana, - Helena, in and around the state capitol and downtown, and - Great Falls, in and around downtown. 2. Neighborhood Process Initial meetings involved discussions of the on -street and off-street parking supply, along with observed parking usage. Data was compiled by city staff, neighborhood volunteers, and school district officials regarding the parking supply and demand of both on -street and school parking lots. The committee researched examples of residential parking districts in other jurisdictions and discussed the merits of the various rules. During the winter of 2013 and spring of 2014, neighborhood volunteers went door-to-door asking their neighbors if they would support the creation of a residential parking district to address the commuter parking issue. The signature gathering effort indicated broad support for the development of a residential on -street parking permit program inside the proposed district area. In June 2014, a neighborhood representative from the on -street parking committee asked the Kalispell Planning Board to consider the creation of a residential on -street parking permit program for the area around Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary School. The topic was discussed at their next several meetings, and in August, they directed staff to schedule a public hearing on the matter so the board could gather community input before making a recommendation to the Kalispell City Council. The planning board held a public work session September 9, 2014, and a public hearing on October 14, 2014. Notice of the public work session and public hearing was sent to all of the property owners and known residences inside and within 150 feet of the proposed parking district boundary, as well as published in the Daily Inter Lake. 3. Original Neighborhood Proposal For the public work session and hearing, staff prepared a draft "residential on -street parking program and district" ordinance, to serve as a starting point for the discussion. The draft ordinance was modeled on the City of Bozeman's ordinance and the boundaries of the district were based on the request from the neighborhood committee. The following is a summary of the terms of the original proposal presented to the Kalispell Planning Board. A. A city -issued permit would be required to park on the streets and avenues within a defined district boundary around both Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary, with exceptions for contractors engaged in business, and other limited uses. B. The district would be in effect between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, from August 15 to June 15, except for legal holidays. C. Only residents and property owners within the parking district would be eligible to purchase a parking permit. D. A resident or owner would be able to purchase a permit for every registered vehicle they own, plus two "visitor" passes. E. The permit would have a cost tied to the administration of the program. The cost would be set by resolution adopted by the Kalispell City Council. In response to a the initial proposal, and as a result of a couple of meetings between the neighborhood committee and school district staff, two compromise solutions were presented to the planning board. 4. Neighborhood's Compromise Solution The neighborhood committee's compromise solution included the following provisions: A. Staff and students from Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary are allowed to buy parking permits for the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 school years. B. Staff and students are permitted to park on one side of the avenues during each of the next two school years (east sides in 15/16 and west sides in 16/17). C. Staff and student permits cost five times the amount of the resident's permit, or $20 for the staff and student permits, and no cost for the residents. D. Non-resident parking permits are revocable if the permit holder is cited for littering, careless or reckless driving, speeding, creating a public nuisance, disturbing the peace, endangering the welfare of the public, or vandalism within the district boundaries. 5. School District #5's Compromise Solution The school district's compromise solution included the following provisions: A. Create additional parking capacity on or adjacent to school district property for a total of 65-70 additional parking spaces. B. Resident parking permits are required on the west sides of 3rd Avenue West and 4d' Avenue West. C. The current open parking situation is maintained on the east sides of 3rd Avenue West and 4d' Avenue West, on the east -west running streets, and all of the other roadways in the proposed district boundary. 6. Community Feedback The process of vetting these proposals generated a significant amount of written and oral comments. The following is a summary of the comments received over the past year, divided into three categories (The complete text of the comments is available at the Kalispell Planning Department): A. Neighborhood Comments for the Residential On -street Parking Program: - City services are degraded or diminished by commuter on -street parking - Congestion on streets causes unsafe conditions - Access for emergency vehicles can be difficult - Hosting guests and visitors can be a challenge - Litter and troublesome behavior is a problem - Extra cars and noise upsets the tranquility of the neighborhood - Students gather in the neighborhood during the day and especially the lunch periods B. Comments from the School District: - Staff and students are now encouraged to use the school's lots resulting in near capacity use - Some parking has been added increasing supply - Litter pick up efforts have been initiated or expanded - Any solution must be viable for both residents and the schools - A limited area is affected by parking overflow (43% on -street occupancy overall) - A larger district would be difficult for school administrators to monitor and supervise - Students must have basic resources to attend school - Parking further from school may become a barrier to timely attendance - Health and safety should be the paramount consideration - The parking problem around Flathead High and Elrod Elementary needs a compromise solution. C. General Comments Against a Residential On -Street Parking Program: - Concerns for the safety of students walking multiple blocks, in the dark - Residents pay taxes to support the school and the city's roads - The streets are public property and should be open to the public - Parking congestion is not widespread - A parking district will displace the congestion - Taxes will go up - Police are busy enough already - Permit parking would negatively affect school events and volunteer participation - A permit program places a financial burden on residents inside the district 7. Kalispell Planning Board Final Adoption Phase - The planning board held another work session on the draft plan on October 28 where public comment was received. - The planning board held a public hearing on December 9 to review the latest changes to the plan as a result of the October planning board hearing and work session. - City staff met with School District 5 representative Dan Zorn and Neighborhood spokesman Devin Kuntz to draft a final compromise document. - The planning board held a final public hearing on January 13, 2015. All property owners in the 5 block parking district were notified by mail and notices were also sent out to the media, School District 5 and committee members. - The planning board accepted the compromise document dated January 14, 2015 and recommended that it be forward to the city council for adoption. - Major points of compromise included: o Limiting the parking district to avenue faces only. o Creating a process to add and remove block faces by property owner petition. o Setting a threshold of performance (75% of the owners of a facing block group must purchase a permit) to stay in the program. o Setting the maximum number of permits purchased by an owner to 3. o Allowing for special events held at the high school to supercede the parking, district with prior notice. o School District 5 to provide additional off-street parking at the Flathead High School and at Elrod Elementary in the summer of 2015. D. Parking Data The following is some basic data regarding the parking situation on the school district's properties and the proposed parking management area. 1. The following information was supplied by Flathead High School staff regarding the student and staff population at Flathead High School. - Student population —1,514 - Staff population —130 2. The information in the following table was supplied by the School District regarding the parking supply and demand of the two schools inside the proposed management area: Parking Supply and Demand on School Property Parking Space Supply Parking Demand Shortfall Elrod Elem. Staff 0 45 -45 FHS Staff 53 130 -77 FHS Student* 308 413 -105 FHS Visitors 10 10 0 Totals 371 598 -227 * Students register their vehicle with the school if they plan to park on school property. 3. The proposed parking management area covers a 24.5 block area, including Flathead High School and Elrod Elementary. The schools and school parking lots take up the equivalent of 5.2 city blocks inside the parking management area. 4. The city estimates there are approximately 641 parking spaces on the roadways in the proposed parking management area, and 368 spaces in the school parking lots. Several other parking spaces exist on the school property, but they are separate from the major parking areas. Some isolated spaces have been created in the past year. 5. Three separate parking counts in the proposed parking district were conducted in the first several months of the 2014/2015 school year. Two were while school was in session and the third was while school was not in session. The following is a summary of the results of these counts: Date # of Cars On- % On -Street # of Cars in % Parking Lot Street Occupancy School Lots Occupancy 641 s aces 368 spaces) September 4, 2014 271 42% 319 87% October 2, 2014 283 44% 321 87% October 17, 2014 113 18% No Data No Data (No School) 6. There are 241 residential parcels with 332 residential dwelling units estimated inside of the parking management area 7. Property records indicate that roughly 56% of the neighborhood's dwelling units are renter - occupied. The single-family dwellings are estimated to be 38% renter -occupied. 8. A signature gathering effort by neighborhood volunteers was conducted during the fall and spring of 2013-2014. The volunteers contacted 182 residents (88% of properties) and 176 (97%) of them indicated support for a parking regulated district. Five (3%) did not support the parking regulated district.