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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12B - Sand Point Park Parking Report MEETING DATE: AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: PRESENTER: AGENDA ITEM: DISCUSSION: 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT JUNE 21, 2010 12B LARRY POPPLER, ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER LARRY POPPLER, ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A REPORT ON THE SAND POINT PARK PARKING AND A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO INSTALL PARKING ON THE SAND POINT PARK SIDE OF CREST AVENUE Introduction The purpose of this agenda is to discuss parking issues at Sand Point Park, and to consider the installation of additional parking on Crest Avenue. Due to the popularity of the beach and park during the warm summer months, park users park their vehicles on nearby streets either to avoid paying the Sand Point Park parking lot fee or during periods when parking within the lots is not available. Historv In 1995, the City constructed the parking lot at Sand Point Park. As a way to manage parking in that area, and to offset the costs for having parking staff to supervise the park, the City began collecting parking fees for the parking lot. The Sand Point Park parking lot has 90 stalls for vehicles and 15 additional stalls for vehicles with trailers. The Department of Natural Resources lake access also has 42 parking stalls for vehicles with trailers. On busy weekends these parking stalls are fully utilized. Many of the nearby streets have parking restrictions. These parking restrictions include no parking on one side, no parking on both sides, and no parking with trailers. The attached exhibit shows the parking restrictions in this area. Many of the parking restrictions currently in place are a result of neighborhoods petitioning the City to help manage the overflow parking from Sand Point Park that was migrating into their neighborhoods. The Traffic Safety Committee reviewed the parking issues on Shady Beach Trail and Shore Trail in 2009 in response to requests from residents living in these neighborhoods. A resident did provide a petition for no parking on Shady Beach Trail; however, the petition only included 8 of 23 property owner signatures. The petition did not meet the required minimum of 51 % of all households in the affected area. A resident has suggested that the City post "parking by permit only" signs on Shore Trail to stop the excessive parking in this area. These residents complain about speeders, noise, emergency vehicle access, and litter associated with the additional activity on their streets. R:\CoLlncil\2010 Agenda Reports\06 2110\Sand Point Park parking agenda report.doc Current Circumstances In 2010, the City received a petition for no parking at the southern end of Shady Beach Trail. The petition met City requirements and was reviewed by the Traffic Safety Committee. The committee agreed to install no parking signs on the resident side of the end of Shady Beach Trail. These signs have now been installed. In addition to Shady Beach Trail the City has received parking restriction inquiries from the Birchwood Avenue and Shore Trail areas related to park users parking on their streets. The DNR has also seen park users without trailers parking at the DNR access. When this occurs, this reduces the available parking spaces for vehicles with trailers. On Memorial Day weekend of this year, vehicles with trailers were parked on the City water tower property at County Road 42 and Crest Avenue. Vehicles with trailers were also parking on the Vierling property and County Road 18 right of way north of County Road 42. The Parks Department reports that they are constantly running out of parking. They have witnessed parking on grassy areas of the park as well as parking on the park access road. People with shelter reservations become upset if they have no place to park. Police enforcement of these parking-related issues can become a low priority when police forces are dealing with other calls. A number of different options to relieve some of the neighborhood parking concerns were reviewed by the Traffic Safety Committee at their most recent meeting on May 20, 2010. The options considered were: 1) Additional No Parkina Sianaae Residents in these areas may petition the City for additional no parking signage. The petition must include 51 % of the households in the affected area. While these residents have this option like any other resident in Prior Lake, further limiting parking simply changes the location of the problem. During peak times, the people parking for the Sand Point Park will simply park on other streets and walk a little further to get to the park. 2) post "Parkina Bv Permit" On Iv Sianaae The City does not currently use this type of sign. If the City were to use this type of sign, the City would have to administer a permit system for the permitees. If this were allowed in these areas, other neighborhoods would likely request this type of sign. Managing the parking by permit would require additional staff time to keep up with ownership changes, new permittees, lost permits, or other permit requests. 3) Remove Parkina Fee for Sand Point Beach Parkina Lot The City collects $5 per vehicle and $20 per vehicle with trailer at the Sand Point Beach parking lot. Seasonal parking passes are also sold for $25 for residents and $50 for non-residents. This amounts to about $30,000 in revenue from parking fees for the Sand Point Park parking lot. Removing this fee for the parking lot could decrease the weekday parking on adjacent streets, but during weekends or summer holidays these parking issues would still R:\CoLlncil\2010 Agenda Reportsl06 21 10\Sand Point Park parking agenda report.doc 2 occur once the parking lots are full. Eliminating the fee also eliminates the parking staff. In this case, the City would have no presence at the park or way to prohibit vehicles from causing damage from parking on the grass or wherever else they could find a spot. 4) Build Additional Parkina Lots The City could build an additional parking lot in some open green area of Sand Point Park near Crest Avenue to allow for additional parking. To construct a 50 car stall parking lot in this area would cost approximately $125,000. This is a preliminary estimate assuming favorable soil conditions and considers a fair amount of retaining wall to deal with topographic challenges on the site. Parks Advisory Committee and neighborhood involvement would be necessary to proceed with construction of a parking lot in this area. A funding source for the design and construction of a parking lot must be identified to pursue this option. 5) Perform Additional Studv of the Parkina Issues The City could hire a consultant or dedicate staff time to review the parking issues and provide additional options or recommendations. The study could monitor the weekend, weekday, or holiday parking issues by periodic site visits. Weather, time of day, events, and high school schedule are factors to be considered in the study. The study could involve a neighborhood meeting to discuss the issues more extensively. The work load of current City Staff members would need to be re-prioritized if the City Council wishes to dedicate City Staff time to the review of this issue. 6) Re-strilJe Crest A venue to Allow Parkinq The City could re-stripe Crest Avenue to allow for parking along one or both sides of Crest Avenue. This would mean a change from two travel lanes in each direction to one travel lane in each direction. At intersections the parking lanes would be eliminated to provide turn lanes. Restriping both sides would provide an estimated 80 additional car parking stalls along Crest. If the City chose to only restripe the east side of Crest along Sand Point Park the re-striping would result in an estimated 40 stalls. 7) Do Nothina Alternative The roadways in this area are public city streets and the park users visiting Sand Point Park have the right to park on these streets. Most of these streets are wide enough to handle the overflow parking for Sand Point Park and provides the most cost effective method to overflow parking. The City Council must weigh the neighborhood inconvenience, park user inconvenience, and public good in making a decision on any of these options. The Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) discussed the topic and recommends that the City re-stripe Crest Avenue to allow parking on the Sand Point Park side. The City crews have budgeted for re-striping of Crest Avenue this summer, changing the striping from the current condition to a parking condition on the park side requires a small additional expense for removing R:\CoLlncil\2010 Agenda Reports\06 2110\Sand Point Park parking agenda report.doc 3 some of the existing striping. Approximately 40 car parking stalls can be achieved by allowing parking on the park side of Crest Avenue from Shore Lane to Cedarwood Trail. The TSC did not agree to additional parking on the north/west side of Crest Avenue because there is no crosswalk at the park entrance. Allowing parking on the north side would increase mid- block pedestrian crossing of Crest Avenue. Also during the heavy boating season, vehicles towing boats trying to turn left into the DNR access will back up onto Crest Avenue. If parking were allowed on the north side of Crest Avenue, a bypass lane would be needed to allow vehicles to pass thus reducing available stalls on the north side. Conclusion City Staff agrees with the Traffic Safety Committee's recommendation to allow parking on Sand Point Park side of Crest Avenue. If approved, re- striping could occur this summer during the regularly scheduled maintenance striping on Crest Avenue. ISSUES: Parking in this area seems to be a growing issue. While re-striping Crest Avenue may relieve some of the pressure on nearby local streets and the DNR access during the week, busy weekends will likely continue to have parking issues in this area. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The additional estimated expense is $400.00 for equipment rental and eight hours of City Staff time to remove the existing pavement striping. These costs would come out of the street budget if additional parking were approved by the City Council. AL TERNATIVES: The alternatives are as follows: 1. Accept the report on the Sand Point Park parking issues and approve a resolution directing staff to install parking on the Sand Point Park side of Crest Avenue. 2. Accept the report and direct Staff to pursue a different alternative regarding Sand Point Park parking. 3. Defer this item until a future date and provide staff with direction. RECOMMENDED MOTION: R:\CoLlncil\2010 Agenda Reports\06 2110\Sand Point Park parking agenda report.doc 4 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 RESOLUTION 10-xxx A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO STRIPE THE SAND POINT PARK SIDE OF CREST AVENUE FOR PARKING Motion By: Second By: WHEREAS, Sand Point Park is a thriving park with many users on fair weather days, weekends and holidays; and WHEREAS, Park users and DNR access users fill up all available parking lot stalls during peak times; and WHEREAS, Public Works intends as a part of regular maintenance to re-stripe Crest Avenue in the summer of 2010; and WHEREAS, The additional cost for striping parking stalls on the Sand Point Park side of Crest Avenue is estimated at $400.00 and eight hours of City Staff time; and WHEREAS, The Traffic Safety Committee and City staff recommend the striping of parking stalls on the Sand Point Park side of Crest Avenue. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA as follows: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. City Staff are directed to install parking on the Sand Point Park side of Crest Avenue. 3. The additional cost for striping parking stalls shall be taken from the Street Department Budget 43100-412. PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 21st DAY OF JUNE, 2010. YES NO I Myser I Erickson Hedberg Keeney Millar Myser Erickson Hedberg Keeney Millar Frank Boyles, City Manager R\CoLlncil\2010 Agenda Reports\06 2110\Sand Point resolLltion b.doc ~ [3\ ~~ 0 ~L9\ ~; ~ ~r~ .~ ~~. r- ~:~J:~,. cC~ [~I) J ('_ <) ~ 0 ~='-1- .~ !hl? 0 :~~~~l3 1:0 ~" Fr;~D. ~ ~ _ _ _ ~~I ] I l~=L 0 .. . LU=f 14'~---b ~f\ ~) . LX gc l ~ n /1. ',- \ \0 J I \\~ ~f-' ' /mb~wo~d 0(. o ~ o ~ ~ o [. o r.. . 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