Downtown Parking – 2020 Where are we and how did we get here?

25 Years Ago: Main Street was marked by persistent vacancies

The Town launched a formal Revitalization Program in 1995

As commerce rebounded, our competitive advantage shifted to restaurants

Downtown became an ideal commercial and residential location

2003 - CVS

2006 - Village on Vine – multi-tenant commercial first floor – 14 residential units behind and above

Concurrent Residential Densification

2009 Methodist Church conversion to mixed use: office plus 5 residential condos. Development Plan approval includes condition that commercial space NOT be a restaurant

True to its historical character, mixed use redevelopment projects flourished downtown

Another Example: unproductive space that became mixed-use infill development

(2003-ish)

670 Main Street - Corner of Main and Rocky Hollow

By 2010, “Downtown” became a desirable residential area

Cottages on Greene

Until 2008, this was a c. 1910, 7-bay, wood framed garage.

P A R K I N G A V A I L A B I L I T Y S T A R T E D T O F E E L L I K E A

R E A L I S S U E .

W E E N G A G E D P A R E E N G I N E E R I N G T O D O A

F O R M A L S T U D Y .

SUCCESS!! But a revitalized downtown brought new problems

The 2005 Downtown Parking Study - Deficiencies

• Counts done after Labor Day • We learned stuff we already knew: Examples: People won’t walk up hills. People will walk 3 blocks at most on level land. People spend an average of between 5 and 90 minutes in any given Main Street establishment. • “Fee in lieu parking impact assessments” in other places

received a lot of space/attention, only to have Pare say that’s not an option here.

The 2005 Downtown Parking Study - Assumptions

Shop owners and employees parking directly in front of their businesses is a big part of the problem.

Successful mixed-use downtowns self-remedy perceived parking deficiencies.

The Town should have Trolley service.

The 2005 Downtown Parking Study - Recommendations

• More efficient use of existing parking – better signage, re-striping to maximize availability, outreach to merchant groups about where employees should park. Some of this was done and it definitely helped.

Encourage ride share (work with employers), promote public transport and alternate modes like biking –

Conclusion

In the end, the Pare study concluded that while interviews and surveys indicated major parking problems, “field visits revealed no significant shortage.” (Page 34)

Therefore, because Pare concluded we had more of a perception and visibility problem than an actual parking problem, they didn’t put forth any meaningful direct supply side solutions. . . .

Results

1. Pare Engineering recommended the Town increase the number of required off-street spaces specifically for restaurants – they are high demand generators typically at times of the day/week that coincide/conflict with residential parking times. We did this

2. Pare Engineering recommended alternating East-West one-way street designations – across Main Street between Marlborough and Peirce at the north end of Main Street

3. Maybe a deck: develop parking serviced by a ground floor and a roof level. Use the hills and grade changes to our advantage. (EX - Between Peirce & Main OR Main & Marlborough)

Time Passes

2014 – 16: Things started to feel different

The numbers bear this out: The # of restaurants/liquor licensed establishments grew! In 2005, there were 14 eating establishments with liquor licenses downtown (Main Street/the Waterfront) In 2015, there were 26 such businesses located downtown And by 2018, that number swelled to 32 (i.e. more than doubled since our revitalization efforts began)

Complaints intensified, not just from visitors to Main Street but from business owners as well. Valet arrangements became the norm and conflicts with and among valets increased – as did re-development and infill development pressure – tension became palpable

Summer, 2019

Planning Department cursory supply/demand study

Map Plat Lot Zoning Address Land Use Units Square Feet

Parking Requirement

Parking Aquired Notes

75-1-188 CD1 363 Main Street Combo - Mixed 2 Res, 1 Comm 3731 74 8 Restaurant - Cathay Garden

75-1-189 SPLIT 351 Main Street Combo - Mixed 3 Res, 1 Comm 4729 13 8 351, 353 & 355 MAIN STREET ADDRESSES

75-1-358 CD1 357 Main Street Comm2 - Restaurant 1 Comm 900 18 0 Restaurant - Ed's Roost

75-1-390 CD1 360 Main Street Comm2 - ConvStore 1 Comm 1800 7 11 75-3-100 CD1 398 Main Street Single Family 1 Res, 4 BR 1742 1.5 2 Using lot 178 75-3-101 CD1 404 Main Street Comm2 - Office 1 Res, 1 Comm 2592 10 12 Using lot 177 75-3-102 CD1 410 Main Street Comm2 - Office 4 Comm 3876 15 16 Using lot 176 75-3-103 CD1 428 Main Street Comm2 - Retail 1 Comm 480 2 2 75-3-104 CD1 442 Main Street Combo - Mixed 2 Res, 1 Comm 4125 11 8

75-3-105 CD1 450 Main Street Comm2 - Restaurant 1 Comm 1632 63 0 Restaurant - Twisted Pizza

75-3-107 CD1 500 Main Street Comm2 - CommShpCnt 5 Comm 23405 87 63 **

75-3-109 CD1 508 Main Street Comm2 - Mixed 2 Res, 2 BR, 2 Comm 5562 14 15

75-3-111 CD1 536 Main Street Combo - Mixed 2 Res, 2 Comm 4136 11 0 Comm 1st floor; 4136/2 = 2068 com sq ft

75-3-112 CD1 564 Main Street Comm2 - Restaurant 1 Comm 1890 25 29

Restaurant - Hill and Harbor Cigar

75-3-114 CD1 572 Main Street Combo - Mixed 3 Res, 1 BR, 1 Comm 4288 12 13

Comm 1st floor; 4288/2 = 2144 com sq ft

75-3-115 CD1 580 Main Street Combo - Mixed 1 Res, 3 Comm 1872 7 5

75-3-116 CD1 594 Main Street Combo - Mixed 1 Res, 1 BR, 1 Comm 1976 8 4 Divisions of Hair

Total number of parking spaces required downtown under current zoning

Total number of parking spaces existing downtown – on Main Street and select side streets and in private and municipal lots

Deficit of parking spaces

2225 1398 827

RESULTS – Do We Really Have A Parking

Shortage Downtown?

Existing Regs call for one parking space for every two seats

There are 1750 seats downtown

Number of parking spaces required if using a 1 space per 2 seats capacity requirement - 875

Number of regulation off-street spaces currently serving the restaurant need - 105

Deficit of spaces in this scenario – 770

Number of parking spaces required if using a 1 space per 3 seats capacity requirement - 583

Number of regulation off-street spaces currently serving the restaurant need - 105

Deficit of spaces in this scenario – 478

Number of parking spaces required if using a 1 space per 4 seats capacity requirement – 437

Number of regulation off-street spaces currently serving the restaurant need - 105

Deficit of spaces in this scenario – 332

Restaurant-Specific Results

Planning & Zoning Boards Joint Workshop 10/22/19

Robust Discussion – Contradictory Opinions Thoughts: “It is what it is” “Free parking isn’t free” “Much of the year, it isn’t a problem” We developed policies that encourage density but

didn’t follow suit with policies addressing the traffic, congestion and parking issues that come along

Businesses need an incentive to share parking Things have changed since ’05 – ride share,

pedestrian activity, marked increase in valet use. . .

Workshop Results

While the Board members weren’t in total agreement, there were three distinct consensus recommendations:

1. Enforce what we’ve got before we develop new regulations

2. A new Parking Study to replace the 2005 effort is needed a.s.a.p.

3. A Valet Ordinance is needed a.s.a.p.