TITLE: Title
Consider request by the Town of Chapel Hill to Transfer Management and Maintenance of Shared Parking Lot at Rosemary and Sunset to Chapel Hill.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to consider a request by Chapel Hill to allow them to take over management and maintenance of a public parking lot jointly owned by Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
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DEPARTMENT: Economic and Community Development
CONTACT INFORMATION: Annette Lafferty, Economic and Community Development Director - alafferty@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:alafferty@townofcarrboro.org> - (919) 918-7319
INFORMATION: The Town of Chapel Hill has requested that Town of Carrboro allow them to take over management and maintenance of a public parking lot that is currently owned jointly by Carrboro and Chapel Hill. The lot is located at the corner of Rosemary and Sunset, it is currently managed and maintained by Carrboro. Chapel Hill has acquired the right to lease a parcel immediately adjacent (east) to this lot and would like to expand and develop the new lot and redevelop the existing shared Rosemary lot, consistent with other parking lots that are metered in downtown Chapel Hill.
The new lot being created by Chapel Hill (see attachment 1) contains 23 spaces, 12 of which are being reserved as private parking for the owner of the lot, 7 spaces are being created for permit only parking and 5 new, including 1 handicap, paid public parking spaces. Chapel would like to meter the 13 existing public spaces that are located on the Chapel Hill side of the Rosemary lot and have requested Carrboro to meter the entire lot.
Carrboro staff is concerned metering the entire lot will not be beneficial to the businesses located in the immediate area. There is an identified need for availability of a managed employee parking system in Carrboro. Similarly Chapel Hill has the ability to issue special permits to businesses for reserved parking. Carrboro staff recommends that we use the 11 spaces located on the Carrboro side, to create permitted parking that will be open to Carrboro based business employees. These are the recommended parameters for the lot that we have communicated to the Town of Chapel Hill.
• The Carrboro permitted employee parking will be for 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Town of Carrboro will be responsible for enforcement of our permitted spaces.
• All the parking spaces become free public parking (permitted and metered) after 5:30 p.m.
• We would like to see the handicap space be moved and metered to the Chapel Hill side to allow access to the public.
• Chapel Hill will maintain the lot.
Employee parking in the downtown has been a constant concern of the business community. Implementing a managed employee parking program will allow enforcement of our current parking limits and reduce the number of people abusing the Town’s parking supply. Staff is requesting the Board consider directing staff to design and implement a downtown employee parking management system that would allow the Town to designate certain spaces in lots in the downtown that can be reserved for employee parking for certain hours during the day. Program design will include a fee for administrative cost of the program, an annual renewal requirement, and a substantial penalty for violators.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: Fiscal impact for the Rosemary lot will include cost of signage for the 11 spaces with anticipated revenue from permits issued. Fiscal impact of implementing a comprehensive downtown employee parking system will have to be determined based on final program design.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends the Board consider the proposal for the Rosemary lot and directing staff to move forward with a comprehensive employee parking management system for the downtown.