Residential Parking District Plan 6-4-15 PB approval-Rod changes 1DRAFT
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
MONTANA
Westside Neighborhood
Parking Management Plan
DRAFT
Modification to the January 14, 2015 Plan Approved by Kalispell Planning Board
Submitted by the Neighborhood For review only - June 4, 2015
Kalispell's Westside Neighborhood is defined by ' t, tree -lined streets, historic residential
architecture, and Flathead High School and Elrod mentary. 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 scho
In response to these changes, a growing student population, %anexpanded footprint on the school
property, School District 95 officials converted several tennis courts, as well as a number of
residential properties into surface parking Wts. 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 committ was formed with representatives from the neighborhood, School District 95,
principals from Flathea 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 planning district
(Figure 1) 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.
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Date: 8/20/2014
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Figure 1: Westside Neighborhood Management Plan Boundary
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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 e ironment.
1.5 — Unrestricted emergency vehicle access t ut the neighborhood.
Goal 2: Public Service Delivery: Delivery o ices 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 ri ht to quiet enjoyment of their
property and surroundin 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 95 has a duty to provide an environment that
supports students' desire to learn an come productive members of society.
4.1 — Parking for students, faculty, and aff should be in close proximity to the
schools they serve.
Goal 5: ost and Sustainability: overnment 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 Manage istrict (Figure 1). 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 N%L '0
A. School District 95, in order to address parking spillover from Elrod Elemen ary, agrees to
add approximately 35-38 parkin s ots at Elrod School.
a. School District 95 agrees to derta e e 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 5th
Street West to the northern end of the Neighborhood Parking Management District.
C. king additions are not completed by the start of the 2015-16 school year, the Elrod
ne rhood shall be subject to a arking district for the area described below:
a. Permit parking restrictions shall be extended to both of 3rd
Avenue West and 4th Avenue West, north of 5th Street West, 4th Street West and 5th
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 #5 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, permit parking restrictions shall be implemented as follows:
a. The permit resident only parking restrictions shall be limited 2nd Avenue West
th r, -__, Ath
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Avenue West between 8th and 9th St. West, and all streets between 4th Avenue and 2rLd
Avenue West within the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District.
C. If the additional parking described in 3.A above is not provided, permit resident o ffil , parking
restrictions shall be implemented on all avenues south of Fifth Street West, within the
Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District.
sro street w
4 4 4 3 3
0 10 11 7 8
4th Street W 4 6 2 6 2
A Elrod
E lementa ry +
35
2 2 4 6 2
3 3 4 5 6 5 3 3 4 5
11 10 11 11 11 11
4 4 12 8 11 2 5 5 4
2 4 1 6
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10 11 133 i FHS 11 11 11 11
Flathead High School
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2 3 5 4 4 4
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------------
8 9 i 161 i 43+25 11 11 11 11
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2 3 1 3 4 4 2
4 3 4 4 2 3 3 3
9 9 11 11 11 11
9th Street W 4 5 4 4 4 4 4
5 5 4 4 4 4 4
7 10
10th Street W
Legend
No Parking
Inclusive Parking Permit Area
Figure 2: Flathead Parking District Map
5 5
5
W
10th Street W
4. Parking District Management
A. There shall be an on -street permit -only parking district created within the Westside
Neighborhood Management Plan. Residents within the Westside Neighbor -hood Pafk ng
Management Distr-iet may petition the KalispeR City Couneil to be added or- removed
Management Distr-iet is established. The Mewing er-iter-ia shaR be satisfied in order- to
ee ^ider-ea for- addition o
removal-
applied to stre
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B. The cost of administration of the resident eptl , pafk ng rest -iefie s shall be borne by the
users, based on a fee per permit as established by the city council.
C. The city shall be responsible for the placement and maintenance of required signage
notifying the public of the existence of parking restrictions.
D. The foRe in * ^ ^ mm^M of the General provisions of the on -street, permit resident-
e* parking restrictions:
a. The permit reside -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. Parking permits shall be clearly displayed in the front window of the vehicle. If no
permit or an improper permit is displayed then a parking citation shall be issued by
the Kalispell Police Department.
d. Contractors engaged in business shall be exempt from the permit resident Offily
parking restrictions. Aw
E. General provisi
a. Each resident in the District is entitled to two free parking permits.
b. Proof of residency and/or propert ownership is required to obtain an on -street
resident -only parking permit.
E Proof of vehicle ownership and current registration is required or each on -street
resident -only parking ermit. Eae istefe � ehiele es the po.mit holdef
d. A resident or owner may purchase o more guest passes separate from a
registered vehicle permit. There is no limit to the number of guest passes that a
reside r owner may purchase.
F. General provisions for student -teacher
ict 5 employee on -street parking_
a. UD to i uu stuaent-teacner-iistrict _-) hin io ee permits pay ne purcnaseci eacn year
for par g within the District.
b. A permit alll6ws on -street parking; it does not ensure a parkin sg space.
c. Student -teacher -employee parking shall be limited to one side of each Street or
Avenue within the District as signed.
d. The specific side of the Street or Avenue shall change yearly as signed.
G. The parking di trict boundaries may be amended:
a. 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.-
b. 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 or street.
c. A petition signed by 75% of the property owners of the facing avenue or street face
within the Westside Parking Management District shall be presented to the city on a
form approved by the City of Kalispell.
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H. 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."
* 4W
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.
C. Background 1%
During late-2012 and early-2013, in resp Snsetocomplaints 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:
Trash and Litter
Parking Congestion
Smoking/Tobacco Use
Speeding or Unsafe Driving
Vandalism/Theft
Disrespectful Students
Noise/Loud Cars/Music
❑isrupted 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; Ahs,
- Permits are usually limited to residents and other specifi,
- Permit fees may or may not be required; and
- The rules specify effectiv ays and times. 0
Several communities in Montana d this technique.
For example:
s;
- Bozeman, around Montana State University and Bozem Senior High School,
- Missoula, around the University of Montana, 4016,
- Helena, in and around the state capitol and downtown, and
- Great Falls, in and around downtown.
2. Neighborhood P ocess
Initial meetings involve. a ussions of the on-s and off-street parking supply, along with
observed parking usagewas 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.
IMIL
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
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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. e following is a summary of the
terms of the original proposal presented to the Kalispell PI oard.
A. A city -issued permit would be required to park on t e 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 resoluti ted by the Kalispell ouncil.
In response to a the initial proposal, and as a result of a coup eetings between the
neighborhood committee and school district staff, two compromise solutions were presented to
the planning board.
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4. Neighborhood's Compro Solutio
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 4th
Avenue West.
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C. The current open parking situation is maintained on the east sides of 3rd Avenue West and
4th 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 a;nt-street
the Kalispell Planning
Department):
A. Neighborhood Comments for the Residential 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 stud e now encouraged to use the scho 1' lots resulting in near
capacity use
- Some parking has be n added increasin7orexpande
ly
- Litter pick up efforts have been initiated
- 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 thisqWety 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
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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 aven e 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
Schoo at Elrod Elementary in the ummer 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.
4,hhb,$
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.
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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.
counts
The foll wing is a summary of the results of these
4W X
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%
It
321
87%
October 17, 2014
113 18%
No Data
No Data
(No School)
6. There are 241 residential parcels wit)56%
side g s estimated inside of the
parking management area
7. Property records indicate that roughlf theneighborhood'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.
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