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closeChanging the parking landscape
City staff updates council on improving parking needs in downtown urban core
Chris Albert
Changes to downtown Puyallup parking will be coming before the Puyallup City Council throughout the summer.
At the June 10 Puyallup City Council study session, city staff presented to the city council possible downtown parking options that could change the landscape for ongoing parking concerns in the business core.
Some possible solutions could include re-configuration of lanes, striping of parking spots, permit parking and the addition of loading zones.
At a previous meeting, Mayor Don Malloy had requested city staff to explore re-configuration of parking spaces at the covered parking area by the Cornforth Campbell lot. The site has been reserved for dedicated permit parking, but city staff have found it not to be used very often.
In some cases it appeared the spaces had been used as a storage area for some vehicles. Since, those vehicles have been removed and city staff has suggested making the lot open to permit parking for all downtown merchants and their employees.
City Manager Gary McLean said city engineers have determined that by removing the covered area and re-configuring the size of the spots they could add two additional spots to bring the total to 40.
It was also suggested that the city owned Hill lot by the funeral home should be turned into permit parking for downtown merchants and their employees.
City staff are exploring which sites would work best as permit parking for all downtown employers and their employees.
Councilmember Tami Brouillet said she would like to see loading zones located near businesses that have a need for quick in-and-out services, like Pioneer Bakery.
Deputy Mayor George Dill said providing more merchant parking is great, but the city needs to accommodate the commuters somewhere.
On that front, McLean said, the city was awarded a $780,000 grant for parking needs. The grant must be used to create a solution near the Sounder Station. If the city does not do that in a timely matter, it risks losing the grant funding.
The hope would be to have resolution for using the grant by September, he said.
Using more satellite parking for commuters will be necessary, McLean said. Other jurisdictions should be encouraged to explore those options, he said. Looking into expanding the Sound Transit South Hill commuter lot, Fair parking and surplus right-of-way space by the Shaw Road Extension, under State Route 521 and other excess city right-of-ways could help commuter parking needs.
The council unanimously instructed city staff to continue negotiations with The Fair to look into using Fair parking as commuter satellite lots.
When city hall opens 240 spaces, including the parking garage and on-site parking, will be available and city staff will park in city owned sites, not on the street, McLean said.
“The employees will park where they are told to park,” he said.
City staff are looking into working with a parking management firm to manage the city hall garage and other city owned sites.
City engineers did look into making Second street into diagonal parking, McLean said. It might add spaces, but because the street is not wide-enough to accommodate two-way traffic it would have to be turned into a one-way street.