Holiday parking will include time restrictions on Sundays
By Nathan R. Huff
The town council on Sept. 14, extended holiday parking-time restriction enforcement to Sundays, and rebuffed a suggestion by the Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce to forgo the paving of several town lots until after the holiday season.
The decisions were part of the town's continuing effort to move forward with a holiday parking program. At the Aug. 28 meeting, the council had agreed to a number of staff and resident suggestions for parking management. That meeting came a month after a paid parking plan was vehemently opposed by the community and voted down by the council.
At the Sept. 14 meeting, town staff presented an update on the town's progress on the various parking measures. The town is pursuing a contract for shuttle and valet services, working on signage, improving the Miles Avenue parking areas, identifying the number of downtown employees, and providing "parking ambassadors" to help downtown visitors find parking.
The two items on which staff requested more direction were the paving schedule for town lots 1 and 2, and the extension of parking time limits to Sundays. The Chamber has said working on the lots in late October could disrupt business activity. The town has argued that the work could be completed by Nov. 1, and would reduce the town's potential liability because of the sad condition of the lots. The council unanimously supported staff.
There was a little more discussion on extending time limits to Sundays. Town staff brought up the issue because they believed a lack of restrictions would remove any incentive for downtown employees to use the valet or shuttle services. This would result in little parking turnover and inefficient use of rather expensive services. Councilmen Steve Blanton and Randy Attaway supported keeping Sundays free. However, the council majority sided with the staff's recommendation.
Staff also presented an update on the ongoing discussions over restricted parking on University Avenue. Currently, there is 24-hour, permit-only parking on the street, but several council members and other downtown residents have stated they feel equity between the neighborhoods needs to be established. A meeting for Tait, Wilder and University avenue residents will be held on Sept. 26, at 7:30 in the town council chambers.
A number of parking-related items, including approval of bids for some of the resurfacing projects and valet and shuttle programs, will likely appear on the council's Oct. 2 agenda.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
