Traffic and Transportation Committee

COMMITTEE ON TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION December 20, 2016 A meeting of the Committee on Traffic and Transportation was held this date beginning at 3:49 p.m., at City Hall, First Floor Conference Room, 80 Broad Street. Notice of this meeting was sent to all local news media. PRESENT Councilmember Seekings, Chair; Councilmembers Moody, Wagner, and Wilson, and Mayor Tecklenburg Staff: Robert Somerville, Interim Director of Traffic and Transportation, and Bethany Whitaker, Council Secretary The meeting was opened with a moment of silence by Councilmember Wagner. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the September 27, 2016 Committee on Traffic and Transportation meeting were deferred on the agenda. On the motion of Councilmember Moody, seconded by Councilmember Wilson, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the November 7, 2016 meeting. Chairman Seekings asked why the September 27, 2016 minutes were still deferred and Ms. Whitaker stated that the microphones were not turned on in the Council Chamber and so the recording was difficult to understand at parts. The minutes for that meeting are still being worked on. APPLICATION FOR ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY: RABIE SELTAOUI, DBA AMERICAN PUMA’S TAXI (TAXI) AND MIRFAIZ SAMATOV, DBA COOL CAB (TAXI) On the motion of Councilmember Moody, seconded by Councilmember Wilson, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the above application. AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE CITY OF CHARLESTON, CHAPTER 19, SECTION 19-277(9) TO EXTEND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE EASTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT BOUNDARY TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL PORTIONS OF SHEPPARD, LINE, COLUMBUS, WOOLFE, REID, AMHERST, CHAPEL, AND SOUTH STREETS WITHIN THE EASTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD DESGNATED RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT DISTRICT. Councilmember Moody asked why this was coming before the Committee and if it was a new district and Chairman Seekings said that Mr. Somerville would explain this. Mr. Somerville stated that they received a petition from the residents on Amherst Street, and on Nassau Street from Woolfe to Meeting Streets to be included as part of the residential parking district. He talked to Ms. Gamble, current neighborhood president, and she said they were working on a petition for South Street, as well as Reid Street and the upper section of Nassau Street. They decided to extend the boundaries to include all of Nassau Street, and South Street going down to Chapel Street, to expand the neighborhood so they could have it signed to the residential parking. Councilmember Moody said the reason he was curious and interested is that he was on the Star Gospel Mission Board which was right by a shopping center near Columbus Street. He pointed to the location on the hand out. He stated that all of the streets appeared to be commercial corridors. He knew that Nassau Street was residential but these seemed like they were commercial streets that are being talked about. He asked why the City was residentially restricting those streets and that the streets should be considered more commercial and provide the type of parking to get people in and out so they could shop in those stores. Mr. Somerville stated that there were a couple of parcels west of Nassau and Columbus streets that were residential before it became a driveway. Councilmember Moody said he knew that Meeting Street was commercial and that people couldn’t park there because it consisted of many other streets, so there would not be enough parking spaces for the shopping center and that those spaces shouldn’t be residential. Mr. Somerville asked if Councilmember Moody would be okay if they assigned it up to Nassau Street. Councilmember Moody said that if they just cut off Nassau Street and let all of the streets that are up on Meeting be commercial, that would be fine. They made the street and didn’t include the area. Mr. Somerville stated that Sheppard Street was residential, and on Line Street among other streets, there are residencies. Councilmember Moody said there was no parking on Meeting Street. Mayor Tecklenburg stated that the workers who worked in the central business district are parked here all day long. The district allowed for 2 hour parking, so as long as it was just somebody coming to transact business, they would have plenty of time to come and go. This is trying to reserve the parking for people who either lived there or are doing business, rather than folks that should be in a garage or in permanent parking somewhere else. Chairman Seekings said there were lots of people parking in this district who then, would go across the street and work in the commercial zone. The neighborhood wants it and it will work and two hours would give the businesses plenty of time. There is other parking you can get to. Councilmember Moody said the point is that the people who are working at Post and Courier are parking in the neighborhood. Mayor Tecklenburg stated that if he were Nelson Printing he would like this better because it’s like reserving that space for customers. Councilmember Moody asked if the parking would be 1 or 2 hours. Mr. Somerville stated that it would be 2 hours. They only received the petition for Amherst Street between Hanover and Nassau Streets and then on Nassau from Woolfe to Mary Streets. Those are the only sections being assigned the 2 hour residential parking. In the future, the request from the neighborhood is to expand it. All they would have to do it is get the petition for South, Reid, and upper Nassau Streets. Chairman Seekings said they aren’t going to assign them yet. Mr. Somerville stated that they could, but what the neighborhood president discussed, is that she wanted to make sure she had the 50% petition requirement from the residents for putting out the 2 hour assignments. Chairman Seekings stated that would be a way for them to not have to come back to the Committee twice. Mr. Somerville stated that the Ordinance required a petition signed by 50% of the residents and currently they have that for both Amherst and Nassau Streets. The ordinance also says that 75% of the spaces are to be occupied with 50% being by non-residents. On Amherst Street, 82% were occupied and on Nassau 83% were occupied. The problem is that the Police Department now, cannot verify the license plates anymore through their contract with the DMV. Before, he would get the license plate, send it the Police Department and ask for where the vehicle is registered, and they would run it for him. The DMV has said that it voids their contract that they provide that information. That is what they don’t have. Chairman Seekings stated that they would have to talk about another way for Mr. Somerville to get that information. Mr. Somerville stated that he just wanted to make sure the Committee was aware of that. Residents have complained about cars being parked out there Monday through Thursday. Mayor Tecklenburg stated that if the City couldn’t figure out a way to get the registration information then they needed to change the way in which they authorize this. He then asked why we couldn’t get the registration information. Mr. Somerville said it had something to do with the contract the Police had with the DMV. Mayor Tecklenburg said that the Police could still get it and Mr. Somerville said that they could get it for their stuff, but for this use they couldn’t, because it would breach their contract. Chairman Seekings said let’s check in with Chief Mullen, Chief Broughton , and Lieutenant King to figure that out. He does think the Committee needed to take a look at the blue shaded area(handout) on the East Bay Street side out of Amherst Street by the Post Office because it gets a lot of parking too. Chairman Seekings stated that he doesn’t understand why they weren’t included in the neighborhood and asked if they could take a look at that. Mr. Somerville said sure thing. Councilmember Wilson said she hoped it wouldn’t go any further north and Chairman Seekings said brace yourself, because it would be coming. On the motion of Councilmember Moody, seconded by Councilmember Wagner, the Committee voted unanimously approved the above Ordinance. DISCUSSION Councilmember Wilson stated that she was approached by a couple of parishioners at St. Mary’s regarding the new requirement with parking during church services. When Charleston Place was built, there was some discussion with St. Mary’s whether there was an encroachment onto their property that was necessary for the Hotel giving them perpetual parking at the garage on Sunday’s for Mass and church services. They have started to limit them to a certain number of hours on Sunday. She was asked to look into that. Mayor Tecklenburg said he had a call as well and they hadn’t been able to find any documents that give them a legal right but they certainly wished to honor the long standing arrangement. Colleen Carducci and the parking garage individuals are putting in automated systems to cut down on free use of the garages. He has a meeting soon about the automated systems with Ms. Carducci. Councilmember Wilson said she would be interested in how it would be resolved ultimately and if there would be any paper trail found. Mayor Tecklenburg said they had searched the archives and that there was a little bit of St. Mary’s that went into the development of Charleston Place and the garage. The person who called him thought there was a document as well but didn’t have it. They intend to honor the arrangement. Councilmember Wilson said that was exactly what it was, and that it was part of the encroachment. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:03 p.m. Bethany Whitaker Council Secretary