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RESOLUTION R-1617-15: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, ACCEPTING THE 2016 DOWNTOWN AND CAMPUS CORNER PARKING STUDY.
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BACKGROUND: On January 28, 2003, City Council approved Contract No. K-0203-100 with Carter & Burgess, Inc. to provide engineering services for a comprehensive Downtown/Campus Corner Parking Study that evaluated parking supplies, parking demands (both existing and future), parking alternatives, and financial considerations. The study was completed in December of 2003 and included a recommendation to develop a parking lot on Gray Street, which was constructed by the City of Norman and opened to the public in January 2007.
On November 13, 2012, City Council approved Contract No. K-1213-86 with Freese & Nichols for the development of the City’s first Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). The contract provided a framework for the development and implementation of an efficient and comprehensive transportation system within Norman and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Freese & Nichols performed exceptionally well throughout the program. The plan was completed in the early spring of 2014 and was adopted by City Council on May 13, 2014. There are specific Action Items within the CTP dealing with the management of high demand on-street parking as well as with the creation of a Parking Management District for the Downtown and Campus Corner areas.
Prior to establishing a Parking Management District or Authority, the City Council and the Norman Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) determined that the original 2003 Norman Parking Study, completed by Carter & Burgess, Inc., should be updated. Doing so was anticipated to provide a more accurate framework for the establishment of a future Parking Management District.
On June 23, 2015, City Council approved contract K-1415-145 with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., to update the 2003 Parking Study of the Downtown and Campus Corner Areas. The $170,000 study was funded by the City of Norman ($120,000), Cleveland County ($40,000), the Downtowners Association ($5,000) and the Campus Corner Merchants Association ($5,000).
On March 24, 2016, the Community Planning and Transportation Committee met and heard a presentation from Jacobs Engineering Group regarding the findings of the 2016 Parking Study.
On April 14, 2016, EDAB recommended that the 2016 Parking Study Update be accepted by the Norman City Council.
On May 16, 2016, the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners accepted the 2016 Parking Study Update, which included a recommendation to build a parking structure on the County-owned property directly north of the Courthouse.
On July 19, 2016, City Council met in Study Session and was presented with an overview of the study and a summary of its recommendations, and requested that formal acceptance of the study be scheduled by staff.
DISCUSSION: Contract K-1415-145 required Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. to identify and evaluate alternatives and candidate sites for the development of additional off-street parking facilities in the Central Business District and in the Campus Corner Area, while considering the following factors:
• Surface vs. structured parking alternatives
• Vehicular traffic access
• Pedestrian access and circulation
• Net gain in parking supply
• Functional layout
• Projected utilization and financial performance
• Potential for joint use (incorporating retail, office, or residential uses in the parking facility or site)
• Proximity to major generators
• Visual and aesthetic impacts
• Compatibility with adjacent land uses
• Generalized environmental impacts
• Alternative use of the site
Furthermore, the contract required Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., with input from citizens, key stakeholders and City staff, to identify up to three candidate sites in each district for future construction of parking structures and to make a recommendation on the preferred site(s) based upon results of the evaluation. Further evaluation of two sites in the Downtown Area and one site in the Campus Corner Area, was also included in the scope of services, including a detailed financial analysis of the proposed parking facilities.
After three public meetings and several monthly meetings with key stakeholders (Jim Adair, representing the Downtowners, Rainey Powell, representing Campus Corner, Commissioner Darry Stacy, representing Cleveland County, and Mr. Chuck Thompson, representing the Economic Development Advisory Board), the Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. Team recommended the following sites for future consideration:
In Downtown Norman
• The property owned by Cleveland County along the north side of Comanche Street, between Jones Avenue and Peters Avenue
• The property owned by the City of Norman along the south side of Gray Street, between Peters Avenue and Crawford Avenue.
In Campus Corner
• The property owned by the University of Oklahoma and First Presbyterian Church along the west side of University Boulevard, between OU’s Boyd House and White Street.
The 2016 Parking Study Update sought to answer the following questions:
1. How do stakeholders and the community at large feel about parking conditions in Norman?
2. How many parking spaces are available, and how are they being used?
3. How many and what type of parking spaces are needed to serve current and future needs (year 2025)?
4. How might potential parking improvements be developed and managed to support future growth and continued investment in Norman’s core?
The results of this effort can be summarized in the following key findings:
• Continued growth has led to increased parking demands.
• There are suitable sites to build parking improvements.
• The City or a Multi-Jurisdictional Authority could feasibly finance or pay for these improvements.
• The approach to parking management can support the City’s other Core Area Plan Initiatives.
RECOMMENDATION:: Staff recommends approval of Resolution R-1617-15, accepting the 2016 Parking Study for Downtown and Campus Corner, which establishes a framework for other committees of the City to explore how or whether to implement any or all the recommendations of the plan in the future.