Draft parking plan calls for permits, pay-and-display and time limits
Plan would establish town Parking Unit
Planner seeks citizen input
By Nathan R. Huff
The first draft of the long awaited Downtown Parking Management Plan hit the streets on May 8. The draft maps out a comprehensive strategy for easing the shortage of spaces in downtown Los Gatos.
The Plan calls for a dollar-an-hour pay-and-display system on surface streets and town lots, time limits on street parking, residential permits, employee parking areas and passes, and creation of a Parking Unit to coordinate the program.
The Plan was developed by Aspen-based parking consultant Tim Ware, who worked closely with a grassroots group of downtown residents and business owners known as the Downtown Community Parking Task Force. Town staff and the Parking Commission also played a role in the plan's design.
The public had a chance to review the plan in a series of meetings on May 11, 12 and 13. Most people reacted favorably to the overall plan, but had a number of questions on details. Residents also expressed fears that the plan did not do enough to protect their street parking. While various downtown parking zones are cited in the report, a map is not included and other specifics are lacking.
But, as Ware states in the introduction to the plan, the document is intentionally vague so it may be more easily revised through community input.
Parking Commission chairman Rex Morton said that those who worked on the draft wanted it open-ended, so people wouldn't be inundated with specifics and would instead focus on larger aspects. "This is a momentous opportunity for us to solve our problem," Morton said. "It seems to be comprehensive in its ability to address the many issues we face in Los Gatos."
While the working draft was light on specifics, it did lay out the basic principles of the plan. Parking on downtown streets would be limited to two hours and--while the numbers are strictly preliminary--would cost $1 an hour. In the town lots, the cost would be the same but there would be no time limits. Payments would be made at pay-and-display meters, which can cover block-long areas or entire lots.
The plan recommends the residential areas adjoining downtown become uniform in parking policy. Currently, the Edelen neighborhood enjoys 24-hour permit parking while the Almond Grove area has more lax parking restrictions. Under the draft plan, residents are offered up to two permits at $75 per car. The approximate cost of guest passes has not been determined.
Morton said he had already heard some grumbling from residents about paying for street parking, but he noted that the town maintains the streets for everyone. If residents want preferential parking, he said, they have to help pay for it.
The street paid parking program would also continue into residential areas for one to two blocks before entering the permit-only area, though residents would be exempt. All-day parking passes for the residential neighborhoods may also be available through the town.
Employees, many of whom parked in residential neighborhoods during the holiday season because of three-hour limits on town lots, would also be able to purchase permits. At a proposed cost of $30 a month or $300 a year, employees could use permits in lower Lot 4 between Elm Street and Grays Lane, the Park and Ride lot across Highway 9 and the Miles Avenue lot. Businesses could subsidize their employees' parking costs. A fixed route shuttle is also mentioned as a possibility.
The plan calls for creating a parking unit to take over the duties now divided between the police department and the town clerk's office. Whether it would work out of one of the two offices or independently is not specified. A parking improvement fund, generated by meter and permit fees, would provide funds. The fund also would help pay for improvements on existing lots and trail lighting and the construction of new garages.
"I think if the plan is implemented properly it's really going to control the problem," said Sheri Lewis, executive director of the Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. Lewis added that the next step was to publicize the plan as much as possible.
After comments from the community meetings are organized, the town will look into purchasing equipment. The task force and parking commission are projecting a fall implementation of the plan, which would require council approval by the June 19 council meeting. The draft plan contains no details on the start-up costs for the program.
The town's recently hired parking coordinator Robin Tole said she was impressed with the first draft. She acknowledged that no one was going to be completely satisfied with the end plan, but hopes a program will be developed that everyone can live with. "As we knew from the beginning, this is going to be a total give and take," Tole said, adding, "If we don't [compromise], nothing is going to work."
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
