City Council Study Session Meeting

CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION MINUTES March 6, 2018 The City Council of the City of Norman, Cleveland County, State of Oklahoma, met in a Study Session at 5:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building Conference Room on the 6th day of March, 2018, and notice and agenda of the meeting were posted at the Municipal Building at 201 West Gray, and the Norman Public Library at 225 North Webster 24 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. PRESENT: Councilmembers Bierman, Clark, Hickman, Holman, Karjala, and Wilson ABSENT: Councilmembers Allison, Castleberry, and Mayor Miller Item 1, being: DISCUSSION REGARDING PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET ON APACHE STREET AND SYMMES STREET IN THE CENTER CITY FORM BASED CODE DEVELOPMENT AREA. Ms. Kathryn Walker, Assistant City Attorney, said there have been past discussions in Community Planning and Transportation Committee meetings about parking issues, particularly in the Center City area, where restricting on-street parking may be necessary to allow for the safe passage of two-way vehicular traffic. She said there is an internal process when a neighborhood wants to restrict parking on one side of the street and that process requires the neighborhood to go to the Public Works Department and present a petition signed by 60% of the property owners. She said if the neighborhood gets the signatures and the signatures can be verified, the street restrictions can be changed to parking on one side of the street. She said if the restrictions are really needed for safety purposes but the petition does not contain signatures of at least 60%, Council could take action to impose parking restrictions through the adoption of a resolution. She said some of the factors discussed include street type classification; density on the affected street; property owner input; traffic volume; and a provision of utility services. She said there is discussion on limiting on-street parking in immediate problem areas that include Symmes Street; Apache Street; and Jenkins Avenue/James Garner. She said on Jenkins, on-street parking would be eliminated, because the street is already down to parking on one side of the street between Duffy Street and Comanche Street. Councilmember Bierman said she supports the resolution for specific areas, but she is concerned about other areas in Summit Lakes Addition where parking is restricted leaving no parking for visitors or those who have access to common property owned by Home Owners Associations (HOA). Councilmember Hickman asked if some type of terminology could be added to consider specific situations such as visitors or events. Mr. Bill Woods asked if parking will be prohibited on both sides of the street at 100 Block of Apache. Ms. Walker said parking will be prohibited on the south side of the street. She said the Traffic Engineer is trying to match it to what it is on the 200 Block of Apache. She said the goal is to be consistent and she will verify that. A property owner asked if there has been a traffic study completed on any of the streets. Mr. Shawn O’Leary, Director of Public Works, said a lot of data has been collected and there is a concept on James Garner, but not on the parking. City Council Study Session Minutes March 6, 2018 Page 2 A property owner asked if there has been an emergency vehicle unable to get down James Garner. Mr. O’ Leary said he does not think there has been an issue in the past, but there has been concern with the Fire Chief. Mr. Mack Burke, The Norman Transcript, asked how quickly the resolution would go into effect. Ms. Walker said there is no waiting period for it to go into effect so it would be effective once Council adopts a resolution. She said signs would have to be made and posted and that does not take long. Councilmember Hickman asked about the parking/vision for James Garner for redevelopment. Mr. O’Leary said most of the blocks in Center City allow parallel parking on-street, but the discussion is to prohibit parking in those areas on James Garner. Ms. Jayne Crumpley, 423 Elm Avenue, said currently two cars cannot go down the street at the same time when there are cars parked along Symmes by McFarlin Methodist Church. Ms. Walker said verification of where the signs will be posted at the 100 Block of Apache and Symmes, revisions to the resolution will be made, and then the resolution will be presented to Council. Councilmember Hickman asked how this resolution affects projects underway. Ms. Susan Connors, Planning and Community Development Director, said those projects will have the ability to add parking spaces on-site. Items submitted for the record 1. Memorandum dated February 16, 2018, from Kathryn Walker, Assistant City Attorney, to Mayor and City Councilmembers with attachments of the Neighborhood Requested No Parking Zones; Resolution; and Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes dated December 20, 2017 and January 25, 2018 The meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. __________________________________ ____________________________________ City Clerk Mayor