HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 21 2014 EDA Report 8B
4646 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: April 21, 2014
AGENDA #: 8B
PREPARED BY: Casey McCabe, Community Development Specialist
AGENDA ITEM: DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE
GRANT PROGRAM
DISCUSSION: Introduction
The purpose of this agenda report is to consider expanding the scope of the Down-
town Public Parking Study to further evaluate downtown parking demand and future
public parking sites to meet that demand, and to consider applying for a Scott
County CDA Economic Development Incentive Grant (EDI Program) to fund 50% of
a parking site analysis.
History
During the March 17, 2014 EDA meeting, a motion was approved requesting city
staff work with the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) and Prior
Lake Downtown Business Association (PLDBA) to: 1) secure parking signs at public
parking lots; 2) explore downtown parking time limits; and 3) evaluate downtown
employee parking options. Those tasks will be coordinated in the near future.
On April 1, the Scott County CDA distributed material for its 2014 grant program
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related to economic development projects/studies with a deadline of June 2. The
CDA has revised its EDI Program to include two application categories:
1. Technical Assistance – up to $30,000 grant with a 100% local match (total
funds available = $90,000).
2. Corridor Readiness – up to $125,000 grant with a 50% local match (total
funds available = $250,000).
The Technical Assistance category provides funding to help communities enhance
economic development activities through surveys, programs and studies. The Cor-
ridor Readiness category provides funding to help communities complete
plans/studies related to land use, transportation, environment, etc. in order to max-
imize development opportunities within ten defined Scott County corridors.
Current Circumstances
As the EDA may recall, city staff updated the Downtown Area Parking Study in 2012.
The parking occupancy survey completed for the study indicated the downtown area
parking demand needs were currently being met; however, based on peak parking
occupancy results, the Study did not support additional commercial development in
the downtown core (Blocks 5, 6 and 7) without providing additional resident, em-
ployee and customer parking. The Prior Lake Zoning Ordinance does not require
properties in the TC, Town Center Use District to provide off-street employee or
customer parking. Presumably this means that the city is responsible in some fash-
ion for a portion or the parking needed in this district.
As a result of discussions with a developer proposing a downtown redevelopment
project, as well as the identified need for additional downtown parking in the core
blocks, city staff has completed further research on the estimated number of parking
stalls needed per individual block in the downtown core. In addition, staff has iden-
tified potential locations for additional downtown parking and estimated the number
of stalls that could be provided.
Conclusion
Attached is a map which identifies the existing off-street public parking spaces, the
ratio of parking stalls provided per block based on commercial gross building area,
and a map showing potential locations and number of parking stalls which may be
added to the downtown core. Considerable additional work remains to be done.
In the first place the staff’s analysis should be verified by someone with complete
expertise in this field. The EDA and city do not want to make investments in expen-
sive ground or ramp parking without knowing ways to mitigate total costs, optimum
parking lot/ramp costs, soil characteristics required, building size minimums into
which a ramp can be constructed, process for constructing a ramp, capital funds
required and possible public and private sources of money for such endeavors.
Staff would like the EDA to consider applying for an EDI Program grant to hire some-
one with experience in downtown public parking design to include site analysis, sur-
face parking design, parking ramp options and estimated total development costs.
Staff estimates a total consulting cost of $40,000, which would need to be matched
with $20,000 of local funds. The current balance of the EDA’s Professional Services
budget is $23,000 (out of the original $40,000 budget). The City Council must ap-
prove a resolution in support of the EDI Program grant application, so the EDA must
make its recommendation to the City Council if it supports this proposal.
ISSUES: The 2004 Downtown Area Parking Study completed by Bonestroo & Associates
stated a future parking ratio of 4.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of leasable area
should provide adequate parking for the estimated land uses by the year 2025. In-
dustry standards for downtown parking range from 3.5 to 4.0 parking spaces per
1,000 SF of gross buildable area.
Attached to this report is a ratio of parking stalls provided per 1,000 square feet of
gross commercial building area in the TC, Town Center Use District. For the pur-
pose of estimating parking demand, a desired parking ratio of 3.75 spaces per 1,000
SF of gross building area was used, which can be adjusted higher or lower based
on EDA direction.
FINANCIAL Short-term: city staff time dedicated to the Downtown Public Parking Study and the
IMPACT:
cost of a potential consultant report.
Long term: potential financial impacts related to acquiring property and constructing
parking stalls, or financial contributions to projects which result in additional public
parking.
ALTERNATIVES: 1. Recommend that the City Council submit a Technical Assistance application to
the Scott County CDA for its 2014 Economic Development Incentive Grant Pro-
gram in the amount of $20,000 with a local match of $20,000 from the EDA’s
Professional Services budget.
2. Take no action and continue discussion during a future meeting.
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RECOMMENDED Staff recommends a motion and second in support of Alternative #1.
MOTION:
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Existing Off-Street Public Parking Areas
2. Per Block Parking Ratio
3. Potential Surface or Structured Parking Areas
4. EDI Program grant application material
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