City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 5, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Petition to Expand the Boundaries of Residential Permit Parking District 3.
BODY
ISSUE: Consideration of a petition to expand the boundaries of Residential Permit Parking (RPP) District 3 to include the north block face of the 800 block and the north and south block faces of the 900 block of Second Street.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve this petition and amend the Residential Permit Parking District Map to include the residential properties on the north side of the 800 block and the north and south sides of the 900 block of Second Street in RPP District 3.
BACKGROUND: At its meeting on October 22, 2018, the Traffic and Parking Board reviewed and recommended approval of a request to post parking restrictions (resident exempt) of two-hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the north side of the 800 block and the north and south sides of the 900 block of Second Street and to expand the boundary of RPP District 3 to include the residential properties on these blocks.
The 800 and 900 blocks of Second Street are located between N. Henry Street (Route 1) and the George Washington Memorial Parkway, less than three-quarters of a mile from the Braddock Road Metro Station and approximately a quarter mile from the Metroway Bus stop on First Street and North Fayette Street. The subject blocks include townhouses with no off-street parking and Alexandria Fire Station 204, located at 900 Second Street. Second Street is located just north of Residential Permit Parking District 3, which ends one block to the south on Vernon Street. On-street, unrestricted parking is available on the north side of the 800 block and on both sides of the 900 block. The Traffic and Parking Board recommended approval of the expansion to District 3 and posting of restrictions. Attachment 1 shows the existing and proposed RPP District 3 northern boundaries.
DISCUSSION: Residents on Second Street have expressed concerns that on weekdays, many of the on-street parking spaces on the 800 and 900 blocks are occupied by vehicles of nearby office workers and commuters parking to use the Metro or Metroway buses. As these spaces are currently unrestricted, non-resident use of these spaces is legal. However, this presents problems for residents who may need on-street parking near their homes. A petition was submitted by over 50% of the residents of each of the subject block faces (Attachment 2), and staff conducted a parking survey which met the occupancy criteria established in the City Code Section 5-8-75 to expand the boundary of the parking district.
Residents were informed that the City is currently conducting a comprehensive evaluation of Residential Permit Parking Program which is tentatively planned for completion in Spring 2019, however, they wanted to move forward with petitioning for expanding the District 3 boundary to include the subject blocks and posting parking restrictions as soon as possible.
Letters of support and opposition are provided in Attachment 3, and 10 residents spoke at the public hearing during the Traffic and Parking Board meeting (8 in support and 2 in opposition). Opponents to this petition believed that the proposed parking restrictions would not provide a comprehensive solution to the parking issues in the neighborhood, would shift more parking to nearby blocks, and that residential permit parking restrictions would make it difficult for guests to park on the subject blocks. Supporters indicated that the parking spaces near their residences on the 800 and 900 block of Second Street are often occupied by non-residents including commuters who park and walk to the Metro Station and Metroway bus stop, workers walking to nearby businesses, and people parking to travel to the airport. They stated that these non-residential parkers make it difficult for them to find parking near their homes.
Staff have been informed that residents of the north side of the 900 block of Second Street may submit an updated petition asking that RPP parking restrictions not be implemented on their block face. Staff still recommend that City Council approve the expansion of the District 3 boundary to include all three subject block faces. Staff will work with the residents and the Traffic and Parking Board to determine where RPP parking restrictions are posted within the expanded district, as not all blocks included in an RPP District are required to have RPP restrictions.
FISCAL IMPACT: The fiscal impact of approving this petition is minor. Approximately 9 new signs will be required for this block. The cost to fabricate and install these signs should be offset by the additional parking permit revenue for these blocks. There would be 22 new households eligible to purchase District 3 parking permit stickers at the cost of $40 for the first vehicle, $50 for the second vehicle, and $150 for each additional vehicle. Additional enforcement will be required for the three subject block faces and will be enforced by parking enforcement staff consistent with enforcement on other residential permit restriction blocks.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: Map of District 3 Expansion
Attachment 2: Petition from residents of the north and south block faces of the 900 block and the
north block face of the 800 block of Second Street
Attachment 3: Letters of Support and Opposition
Attachment 4: Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES
Michael L, Brown, Chief of Police, APD
Hillary Orr, Deputy Director, Transportation, T&ES
Christopher Ziemann, Division Chief, Transportation Planning, T&ES
Katye North, Principal Planner, Transportation Planning, T&ES
Megan Oleynik, Urban Planner III, Transportation Planning, T&ES