ITEM: 12.3 ADMINISTRATION - Jim Kappelhoff, Parks and Recreation Director, and Jean M. Keely, City Engineer
Title
APPROVE PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 121ST AVENUE BETWEEN 3RD STREET AND 7TH STREET
Background
Installation of regulatory signs requires authorization by the City Council. A petition containing 10 resident signatures was submitted requesting parking restrictions on the north side of 121st Avenue between 3rd Street and 7th Street, Monday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., May 1 through August 31. The petition indicates that parents of Little Leaguers using Happy Acres Park are parking on both sides of the street thereby creating a dangerous driving condition. The petition was presented for Council consideration on June 7, 2012.
The Engineering and Police Departments monitored this area for a year and did not observe a safety problem with the street parking. When Happy Acres Park is busy with sports activities, there is parking on both sides of 121st Avenue. At these times, vehicles proceeding east or west on 121st Avenue are limited to one vehicle at a time through the area, but at no time did staff observe where emergency vehicles could not proceed through the street.
At the June 7, 2012 Council meeting, one resident expressed concern with the proposed parking restrictions. Council postponed consideration of this item until a neighborhood meeting could be held. Sixty-five homes were notified of the neighborhood meeting held on August 20, 2012 and nine residents attended. Staff explained the history of the area, use of Happy Acres Park, history of complaints and police reports, and the petition presented to City Council. Residents stated concerns of reduced visibility with cars parked on both sides of the street combined with the curvature of the street in the east bound direction and having to take turns driving through the area during Little League games when children are crossing the street from parked cars. A resident brought up the benefit of cars parked on the street as a traffic calming measure that requires motorists to slow down through the neighborhood. There was also discussion of Council adding an exception to the parking restrictions requested for legal holidays. The majority of those residents present at the August 20th neighborhood meeting favored the proposed parking restrictions.
After the neighborhood meeting, the resolution for parking restrictions on 121st Avenue was brought back to Council on September 6, 2012. Council again postponed consideration of this item, referring it to the Park Advisory Board for discussion and recommendations, asking that they consider duration of the parking restriction, the impact of parking overflow on other streets, and additional parking within the park.
The Park Advisory Board discussed this issue at their September 25, 2012 meeting and recommended the following:
· City staff pursue overflow parking within the park on a temporary basis similar to what is currently used at other parks.
· That City Council take no action on parking changes on 121st Avenue.
· City staff, including police and park staff, be directed to monitor the 121st Avenue area after the advent of temporary overflow parking within the park to see what impact it has and report back to the Park Advisory Board.
· The Park and Recreation Department send recommendations to the users of the park informing them of the temporary parking and recommending its use.
Since the Park Advisory Board meeting, staff continued to research the design of 121st Avenue. This street is a Municipal State Aid (MSA) route and to meet Minnesota Rules, should be 32 foot wide to be signed with parking restrictions on one side. This MSA requirement was not considered when the street was designed and constructed by the Developer to meet our City standards for new residential subdivisions. The options available to the City for 121st Avenue would be to remove the route from the MSA system and leave it as a local collector route, sign the entire street with parking restrictions on both sides to meet Minnesota Rules, or approve the petitioned parking restrictions with the intent to possibly widen the street at the time it requires reconstruction in twenty to thirty years to meet Minnesota Rules.
Recommendation
By Resolution, authorize parking restrictions per the petition and add the language "except for legal holidays".
Body
WHEREAS, the Blaine City Council is cognizant of providing regulation of vehicular traffic in a safe and responsible manner; and
WHEREAS, the City Ordinance requires a City Resolution specifying the placement of regulatory signs; and
WHEREAS, the regulatory signs are considered to meet warrants for traffic control established in the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices; and
WHEREAS, staff will continue to study options available to meet the required Minnesota Rules of a Municipal State Aid route designation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Blaine as follows:
1. Parking restrictions are hereby authorized to be installed on the north side of 121st Avenue between 3rd Street and 7th Street, restricting parking from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, May 1 to July 31, except for legal holidays.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 6th day December, 2012.