Mayor's Downtown Task Force

CITY OF BIDDEFORD 205 Main Street PO Box 586 Biddeford, ME 04005 Downtown Committee Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by the Chair, Councilor Belanger. Present: Chair Norman Belanger, Council President John McCurry, Mayor Alan Casavant, Councilor Michael Ready, Councilor Marc Lessard, Councilor Amy Clearwater (representing the DDC), Chief Roger Beaupre, City Manager Jim Bennett, ED Coordinator Brad Favreau Discussion: 1. Proposed 2-hour limited parking on Adams, Jefferson, South, Center, and Lincoln Streets Belanger: the City is not responsible to providing free parking. Should not go back to all unlimited parking. Maye go to a mix of 2-hour and 4-hour parking Bennett: Of the 60 – 70 spaces in question, maybe apportion a percent to 2-hour and some to 4-hour. Belanger: Six or so spaces closest to Main Street might go to 2 – hour with the rest 4-hour. Ready: 60% 4-hour is too high. This will impact residential streets and cause the implementation of resident parking permits. Perhaps 40% 4-hour and 60% 2 hour is the best mix. Lessard: Such a mix of time limits may confuse users, but they will get used to it. It may stymie visitors to Biddeford and turn them away. Use just two levels of parking: 30 minute and perhaps 3-hour parking. Mayor: Must consider resident and worker displacement. We don’t know yet what the need will be for 2-hour customer parking on Main Street and beyond. Will this result in empty storefronts? Are we moving too quickly? McCurry: As a proponent of the parking program, this is the only way a garage can be built. Lack of parking downtown will certainly result in loss of business. Two possibilities: Let Mill district pay for garage, or let those who have been granted parking waivers pay for parking garage. Belanger: The cost of parking should be moved from the mill rate to the user. Bennett: there are still many square feet of vacant space in the Mill district and Downtown. With this eventual addition of new uses. Millions of dollars are being invested in Biddeford. A H:\Downtown Committee and Mayor's Downtown Taskforce\Minutes 10_17_18 Downtown Committee.doc www.biddefordmaine.org lack of short term, free parking will lose customers and lose revenue. This program will create parking free for customers at no cost to taxpayers (Mill rate). Beaupre: Enforcement must have the capacity to cover lots and on-street parking. Suggestion: Make Main Street 2 hour parking and all side streets 4-hour parking. Motion by Lessard to make 4-hour parking all but Main Street, where is will remain 2 hour. Seconded by Casavant. Rob Tilotson of Oak Point expressed gratitude that this middle-of-the ground-approach will help his employees. Casavant: This motion will slow down the process and allow this group to see the consequences of the program overall. Ready – This is a bigger change than we are charged with. Lessard: Perhaps we need to go to full council. Bennett: there may be other consequences to a shift to 4-hour parking. Residents and/or customers may use these spaces, allowing nowhere for Oak Point employees. Belanger: This action is within statutory order. If 2 hour spaces fill up, we can address the situation again. In favor of the motion: Lessard, Belanger, Casavant Opposed: McCurry, Ready Motion carries. 2. Overnight Parking on Main Street Bennett; Only Main Street bans overnight parking. Other options exist on side streets. Casavant: are the number of residential tenants greater than the number of spaces on side streets? Bennett: No. McCurry: Will residents park on Main Street from 6 pm til 9 or ten o’clock? If so, it will defeat the effort to provide copious parking on Main street for restaurants. This will present more effort for enforcement. Bennett: If this does indeed take place we can solve it when the time comes. No further action taken at this time. 3. Monthly permit parking – permits are restricted to a particular lot. How can one user drive different cars into downtown on different days? H:\Downtown Committee and Mayor's Downtown Taskforce\Minutes 10_17_18 Downtown Committee.doc www.biddefordmaine.org Bennett: Technology can process up to five plates per user. Beaupre: Because there are three levels of permits: weekdays, nights and weekends, and 24/7, enforcement will work with multiple plates for one user on an ongoing basis. Bennett: maybe we can allow sales of dedicated spaces for a premium and leave enforcement up to the user. Can the phone app allow purchase of a permit using multiple plates? Beaupre: We’ll learn as we go what works and what needs to be adjusted. Bennett: Snow bans will be charged so we will know who is there by permit. Parking enforcement will be paid out of parking fund account – not out of general fund. We will hire two additional part-time enforcement officers. Bennett: Permits must be received by this Friday. Garage decisions must be made now. Revenue stream must be assured. With no revenue, no bond with no bond, no garage. No further action taken at this time. Next meeting: Friday, October 26 8 a.m. H:\Downtown Committee and Mayor's Downtown Taskforce\Minutes 10_17_18 Downtown Committee.doc www.biddefordmaine.org