[OMS_MANAGERS] CBDA Parking Questions

[W Darin Rutledge, Executive Director]

Klamath Falls has a downtown parking district. The district supports maintenance of the 7 surface lots within the district, and also theoretically builds a reserve fund for major renovation (resurfacing, striping, etc.) and the purchase/construction of new lots anticipated in the coming years.  The district also oversees parking for on-street spaces within the district, but the operating and capital costs for those spaces are included in the City’s streets budget. 

 

The district is funded in part by fines. Businesses also pay a minimum maintenance fee for each part- and full-time employee, and an additional fee for a parking pass if employees drive/park within the district. Those revenue streams fund most of the district’s resource needs but there is also a small general fund allocation. The parking passes allow employees to park in certain 2-hour restricted areas within the district (Main Street-proper is 2-hour restricted for all users – side streets and off-Main areas are 2-hour restricted, but employees are allowed to park there longer with a pass). 

 

To be candid, it’s an archaic revenue model that has exactly zero to do with the parking impact of each business. Moreover, the City doesn’t have an effective way to ensure that businesses are paying their fair share. For example, the largest restaurant we have purchases only 2-3 parking passes. It’s widely known that they have many more employees than that, but there’s no way for the City to “enforce” additional parking pass purchases. We pitched an entirely new model last year, but timing and other factors put it on the back burner. 

 

Basically, the new model would assess a fee based on a matrix that factors building size and business type. At a basic level, a 10,000sf restaurant would pay a larger assessment than a 10,000sf insurance office because their impact to parking is much higher due to customer turnover, length of parking on district resources, and total “door swings”. 

 

Happy to provide some of the data we considered – would likely be much easier to implement as a new program than to try and change an existing model which is way more favorable to some business types. 

 

D

 

 

 

From: OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> on behalf of <director at coosbaydowntown.org>
Reply-To: Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
Date: Monday, April 19, 2021 at 10:50 AM
To: "oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov" <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
Subject: [OMS_MANAGERS] CBDA Parking Questions

 

Hello,

 

I was just wondering what other downtown's do regarding parking. How did you pay for new parking lots and how do you pay to maintain your current parking lots? 

 

Thanks,

Holly

 

Holly Boardman

Executive Director

Coos Bay Downtown Association

320 Central Ave. Suite 410

Coos Bay, Or 97420

541-266-9706

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