AGENDA #4c
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: On-Street Parking Regulations in Columbia Place Neighborhood
DATE: April 28, 2003
The following report is in response to a petition (Attachment #1) submitted by the Columbia Place Homeowners’ Association requesting that the Town Council consider implementing parking restrictions in the Columbia Place neighborhood. Please refer to the attached map (Attachment #2).
Enactment of Ordinance “A” would change the on-street parking regulations on the public streets in the Columbia Place Neighborhood (Columbia Place Drive, Columbia Place East, Columbia Place West, and a portion of North Columbia Street) to “no parking anytime except by residential permit.”
Enactment of Ordinance “B” would eliminate parking within 50 feet of intersections to sight distances and turning radii necessary to accommodate large routine and emergency service vehicles.
The Manager recommends enactment of Ordinance “A” and Ordinance “B”.
BACKGROUND
The Columbia Place Homeowners’ Association requested late last year that the Town establish “no parking anytime except by residential permit” on streets in the Columbia Place neighborhood. We have also heard from several area residents expressing concerns about on-street parking by people who are not residents of Columbia Place and who are not visiting residents. In the petition, the Columbia Place Homeowners’ Association also requested two guest permits for each dwelling unit in the neighborhood. Currently, parking is allowed on both sides of all streets in the neighborhood, and each dwelling unit was built with two off-street parking spaces.
The Town Council also received another petition at their April 14, 2003 meeting from the Columbia Place Homeowners’ Association requesting the Town Council to “grandfather” the Columbia Place neighborhood with regard to the new Land Use Management Ordinance, which increases to four the number of unrelated persons who may reside in each dwelling unit of a two-family duplex. They expressed several concerns including limited off-street and on-street parking resulting in congestion, blockage of driveways, sidewalks, and mailboxes. This report responds only to parking concerns expressed by the Homeowners’ Association; a separate report regarding the relevant portion of the Land Use Management Ordinance will be provided at a future Council meeting.
DISCUSSION
We conducted field observations at various times on different days. We noted that all available on-street parking was normally occupied Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. It appears that a significant number of non-resident vehicles park on the streets in the area, particularly during normal hours of instruction at the University. We also noted traffic congestion and constricted travel lane widths at some times and locations when parked cars fully lined both sides of the streets.
We prepared the attached survey form (Attachment #3) describing the proposed parking restrictions and soliciting comments from the area residents. We distributed 66 survey forms to the residents and 48 were returned. Of those returned, 35 supported the proposed residential permit parking restrictions and 13 were opposed to the change.
Based on our observations, the neighborhood survey results, and discussions with the Homeowners’ Association, we believe that restricting on-street parking to “no parking anytime except by residential permit” would address the residents’ parking concerns noted in the first petition, and would preserve the available on-street parking for use by neighborhood residents and their guests, rather than being dominated by commuter parking as we observed. If approved by the Council, the Town Parking Services Division would provide enforcement of parking regulations and cars without residential permit would receive a citation.
The Association also agreed that the proposed permanent parking restrictions near intersections would improve conditions throughout the neighborhood.
MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The Manager recommends that the Council enact the Ordinance “A,” which establishes no parking anytime except by residential permit in the Columbia Place neighborhood, and Ordinance “B,” which limits parking within 50 feet of intersections.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Petition (p. 5).
2. Vicinity Map (p. 6).
3. Survey Form (p. 7).
ORDINANCE A
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING ON-STREET PARKING (2003-04-28/O-1a)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:
Section 1. Section 21-27.8 of the Town Code of Ordinances, “No parking anytime except by residential permit.” is hereby amended by adding the following in appropriate alphabetical order:
“Street Side From To
Columbia Place Drive Both 50 Feet North of 50 Feet South of
North Columbia Columbia Place East
Street and West
Columbia Place East Both 50 Feet East of Its End
Columbia Place
Drive
Columbia Place West Both 50 Feet West of Its End
Columbia Place
Drive
North Columbia Street East 50 Feet North of 325 Feet West of
Longview Street Columbia Place
Drive”
Section 2. This ordinance shall become effective June 2, 2003.
This the 28th day of April, 2003.
ORDINANCE B
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING ON-STREET PARKING (2003-04-28/O-1b)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:
Section 1. Section 21-27 of the Town Code of Ordinances, "No parking as to particular streets:" is hereby amended by inserting the following therein the appropriate alphabetical order:
“Street Side From To
Columbia Place Drive Both North Columbia A Point 50 Feet North
Street of North Columbia Street
Columbia Place Drive Both Columbia Place A Point 50 Feet South
East and West of Columbia Place
East and West
Columbia Place East Both Columbia Place 50 Feet East of
Drive Columbia Place
Drive
Columbia Place West Both Columbia Place 50 Feet West of
Drive Columbia Place
Drive
North Columbia Street East Columbia Place 50 Feet West of
Drive Columbia Place
Drive
North Columbia Street East Columbia Place 50 Feet South of
Drive Columbia Place
Drive”
Section 2. This ordinance shall become effective June 2, 2003.
This the 28th day of April, 2003.