BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
Clarkston should partner with private parking lot owners, protect neighborhoods from excessive parking, and consider paid on-street parking to help alleviate a 247-space shortage, according to a new parking study.
“As your planner, I would not recommend another high-use parking business downtown,” said Richard Carlisle of Carlisle Wortman Associates at an Oct. 22 presentation to the City Council and Planning Commission. “We don’t want parking issues to affect the success of the businesses we have.”
Commissioned this past summer, the study counted 635 parking spots in public and private lots and along the streets of the city. According to zoning requirements based on businesses’ use and floor area, the city should have 882 parking spaces, Carlisle said.
“There isn’t enough parking available during the evening,” he said.
Short-term recommendations include forming a Parking Management District with a permanent Parking Advisory Commission; residential permit parking, done on a petition basis; paid on-street parking on Main Street, W. Washington, and Depot Road; paid parking in all city-owned lots; agreements with private lot owners, with revenue sharing to pay for public use and maintenance of those private lots; city services provided to all parking lots, including enforcement, maintenance, and revenue collection; and more signs to direct visitors to public and private lots.
Long-term recommendations include creating more parking using revenue from parking fees and fines – up to 70 spaces could be created on E. Church Street in front of commercial buildings, Depot Street, W. Washington Street, west alley, behind Brightside Dental, and other public areas, he said.
Creation of a Downtown Development Authority was not recommended.
Revenue generated by the paid-parking lot at Main and Washington, about $314,000 per year, means the city has more options than two years ago, the last time a parking study was done, said Mayor Steven Percival.
“It’s working,” Percival said. “I’m more optimistic now than two years ago, when we had zero funds to do anything.”
A 2016 inventory counted 394 parking spaces in public and private lots downtown. The new study counted spaces up to a quarter mile from the middle of downtown, including the Union Adworks parking lot.
Zoning ordinances require businesses provide parking based on use and floor space, or else pay into a parking deferment fund. City Council granted parking waivers to the Union Joints’ Honcho restaurant and The Fed restaurant in 2015. Since it hasn’t been enforced, it probably should be taken out of the ordinance book, Carlisle said.
“You have options now,” he said.