Four zones targeted to pilot parking program
CITY HALL — A program is on the table, which, if approved, would mark the first time employees could acquire preferential parking status in parts of Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica City Council is set to make a decision on a staff proposal this evening requesting that some commercial corridors along Montana Avenue, and Pico and Ocean Park boulevards be opened up for employee permit parking. City Hall’s proposal comes in response to some council concerns that areas within some residential parking zones are not being fully utilized during the day and might help accommodate the parking needs of local workers.
Currently, only Santa Monica residents are allowed to apply for preferential parking permits.
Councilman Herb Katz, a long-time critic of most preferential parking programs in the city, said he would be supporting the proposal on the grounds it would make good use of available daytime parking space.
“We often say, ‘this is a resident, they need parking’ and ‘this is a business, so the heck with them,’” Katz said. “I don’t think we should do that, because we often mischaracterize who we are talking about.
“A lot of these business owners and employees are Santa Monica residents, just like a lot of the customers.”
City Hall has designated four areas in Santa Monica where it would like to pilot the new program. To ensure resident parking does not suffer as a result of the program, staff will likely suggest only 10 percent of the total spaces in these areas be considered for employee parking.
The section around Montana Avenue between Lincoln Boulevard and 17th Street — extending north to Alta and south to Idaho avenues — may be considered, according to a staff report. It is estimated this area could comfortably provide 100 employees with daytime parking spaces.
Two sections near Pico Boulevard — from 20th Street to 23rd Street and from 29th Street to 33rd Street — may also be considered for the pilot program, extending south to Pearl Street. Staff estimates this would provide a little less than 100 total employee parking spaces.
The section of Ocean Park Boulevard between 14th and 18th streets may also qualify for the new employee parking zone, extending as far north as Maple Street and as far south as Hill Street, providing approximately 50 additional employee parking spaces.
City Hall expects to sell 155 permits in the first year of the program at $120 each, generating $18,600 in revenue to cover administration costs.
The permits would be issued quarterly through a lottery system used to distribute to businesses.
Jane Walker, chair of the Montana Avenue Merchants Association, said she supports an employee permit parking program in her neighborhood, in part because the parking impact to the neighborhoods would be minimal.
“All we ask is staff make sure the employee parking is spread to the second half of the block and staff re-evaluate the program in a year,” Walker said. “The number of spaces would be limited to five or six per block.
“Because the impact is so minimal, it would be hard not to support it.”
Mark Armour, NOMA chair, said the neighborhood group does not support the employee parking proposal because it fails to comprehensively address parking issues for all parties involved.
“We are prepared to support a well thought out plan that would spread parking out evenly, but the staff’s proposal is like trying to heal a broken leg with a Band-Aid,” Armour said.
Armour said part of the problem NOMA has with the staff’s proposal is the criteria for those blocks which would have permit parking changed since a May 11 informational item was posted online. He said employee permit parking was supposed to include only those blocks which were half-empty during the daytime, but now includes all blocks within the designated area — a difference which NOMA members do not support.
Councilman Kevin McKeown, who will be voting on the proposal at tonight’s meeting along with Katz, said he would support it on a conditional basis.
“I can’t vote for any plan that takes first claim on neighborhood parking away from residents, but it’s important we find an equitable way to share the empty spaces on some blocks so other nearby blocks don’t become overburdened,” McKeown said.
“I’m thinking employees should get spots only on specific blocks that are still half empty even after residents park, and the employee permits should be priced to cover all costs on those blocks so that residents who share get their own permits free.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 14, 2005. Read the original PDF.