POULSBO — Like many small cities Poulsbo is taking a look at its downtown parking. Whether or not there’s a capacity problem: “The jury’s still out on that,” said city planning director Barry Berezowsky.
Across the state and country Berezowsky said the topic of parking is a common one, and in Poulsbo, where many complain there aren’t enough downtown spaces, it can be seen as a good and bad problem to have.
In 2007 the city received a $30,000 grant to conduct a study, and hired David Evans and Assoc. to do the job. The city also formed a citizen advisory stakeholders group.
Coordinating with the recent Traffic Demand Management (TDM) survey, the study concluded in recommendations geared toward a topic more than a decade in debate.
Findings and Recommendations
Based on the study’s August 2008 data collection, which consisted of license plate surveys and occupancy counts on a weekday, a Saturday and a Sunday, the study states “it is reasonable to assume that peak downtown parking demand is approximately or equal to (or slightly greater than) the current parking supply, since 100 percent utilization is reached during only a few hours each weekday.”
To that, the study offers short and long range strategies. In more recent terms, the city may consider increasing parking supply by revising parking dimension standards and re-striping Anderson Parkway with 90-degree stalls to add an additional 35 slots. That alone would create a 14 percent increase in the parkway’s spaces. Stalls along Moe and Front streets are also possibilities.
Parking time limits may also be revisited, along with the idea of charging to park in waterfront lots. The study estimates $300,000 can be collected in a year in parking fines. If just 25 percent of violations are ticketed it could earn $150,000, which would cover the cost of police enforcement, it contends. Permit parking programs are another potential short range strategy.
Long range brainstorming led to more transformative suggestions, including:
• Turning Anderson Parkway into plaza/park or mixed used commercial development;
• converting Front Street to a pedestrian plaza;
• Constructing a parking garage, possibly on the current city hall site.
Poulsbo City Council members discussed the strategies Wednesday night, and have tasked the council’s Public Works Committee with reviewing both the parking and TDM studies to prioritize recommendations that are “most doable in the short term,” said Berezowsky. The committee will also put together a cost analysis and bring the implementation plans to council. The committee next meets Jan. 14 at 5 p.m.
To view both the parking study and the related TDM findings, visit http://cityofpoulsbo.com/Planning/.
