[MissoulaGov] MissoulaGov Digest, Vol 39, Issue 5

[Ethel MacDonald]

While I'm trying to avoid a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of a huge parking
structure, and would like to believe Brent's statement that it would be
a "fantastic enhancement to Caras," and certainly agree
with Goeff's suggestions for modern, more efficient design, I still believe
that more parking space is not the way to improve Missoula's downtown.
Consider this:  on First Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, the downtown
sidewalks are packed with people.  Where do they all park?  On Saturday
mornings they're biking, walking, taking the shuttle, but still, many of
them, including all the market merchants, must drive.  Friday evenings they
are not taking the bus, and fewer are biking, so where are they parking?  I
suggest they are parking in those spots that downtown non-retail (office)
workers use 8-5 on weekdays.   I know I'm over-simplifying, but when
downtown office workers start taking the bus, biking, or walking, more
people who'd like to shop downtown will be able to find a parking spot.  I
suspect more retail employers encourage employees to take the bus to free up
parking spaces for customers.  Missoula in Motion offers many incentives
employers can take advantage of.  Why not give it a try?
   And while it might be nice to enlarge the actual park area of Caras Park,
it does seem to me that the present parking spaces there are needed for the
Carousel, Clark fork Market, and special events, and it would be a mistake
to take any away and offering the alternative of a parking garage that will
no doubt be fairly expensive.
    When both parking and gas become limited and expensive enough, people
will find better ways to get around.  So while some downtown enthusiasts
might see the "build it (parking garage) and they will come (to shop
downtown instead of elsewhere)" as good reason to build, some of us equally
interested in a vibrant downtown believe the sad truth of the statement is
that whether it's a 4-lane speedway to get there or a parking facility, when
you make it easier to drive & park, fewer people will choose more
environmentally-friendly modes of travel.  Biking, walking, taking the bus,
even carpooling, promote a healthy, friendly community.  Individual
drivers competing for roadway and parking space do not promote community --
until they get to their destination, of course, when they again become our
fine community members working in their many and diverse ways to build a
healthy, pleasant city.   Ethel
On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 8:32 AM, Brent Campbell <BCampbell at wgmgroup.com>wrote:


> The downtown plan includes removing much of the parking along the river

> near Caras park and relocating it to this structure.  This will be a

> fantastic enhancement to Caras, which is in need of more space.

> Additional spaces are to support Macy's staying a viable part of

> downtown and strengthening our retail core along Front & Main.

>

> I dont put much stock in the induced demand concept in urban areas.

> Peak hour spreading and driving parking and traffic into neighborhoods

> are the results of traffic congestion on our collector and arterial

> streets.

>

>

> Brent Campbell, P.E.

> President / CEO

> WGM Group, Inc.

> http://www.wgmgroup.com

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

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>  Subject: MissoulaGov Digest, Vol 39, Issue 5

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> Today's Topics:

>

>   1. committee update 5-6-09 (Bob Jaffe)

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> Message: 1

> Date: Wed, 6 May 2009 22:27:05 -0600

> From: "Bob Jaffe" <BJaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us>

> Subject: [MissoulaGov] committee update 5-6-09

> To: <missoulagov at cmslists.com>

> Message-ID:

>

> <689D48B33023A5469751A46A44C5A7A30D425B63 at mailserver.ci.missoula.mt.us>

>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>

> Greetings,

>

> This morning in Conservation we learned about an agreement the parks

> department had put together with developer Kevin Mitty regarding the

> park in the 44 ranch subdivision. Kevin wants to go ahead and build the

> improvements in the park and get reimbursed later as the city collects

> impact fees.  The estimated costs for the project are just over

> $1,000,000. In the end the city will only have to pay him back around

> $410,000.  It's a great deal for the city. I imagine Kevin's motivation

> is that his development will be more sellable with a finished park

> instead of a weed field. 44 Ranch is a very vertical project in that

> Kevin Mitty developed the property, built all the houses, and now is

> doing the city park improvements. It's kind of like John Didell at

> Pleasantview except Kevin is working with us for parks instead of suing

> us to avoid them.

>

>

>

> In PAZ we had the dreaded Chickasaw subdivision return.  This was the

> painful project out on seventh just past Tower.  We had required a three

> acre Agriculture set aside and a connecting road which required the

> whole thing to get redesigned. We approved it conditional on staff and

> the developer bringing something back to us that met all the various

> conditions we were after. They did this today and it was pretty straight

> forward. There were still a few concerns including traffic calming for

> the someday connection to the north and how storm water was being

> handled with the shallow aquifer. The Community Food and Agriculture

> Coalition didn't like the shape of the resulting agriculture parcel so

> they requested we deny the project. I get this image of the terraced

> farms cut into steep hillsides when they say killing the project is

> better than farmland that isn't a perfect rectangle. We will finish this

> one up next week.

>

>

>

> In A&F we discussed the parking garage planned for Front and Pattee.

> There are still a lot of unknowns. It will be at least 300 spaces and

> some retail along front street. If there is enough money it will be 600

> spaces. The downtown plan calls for 600 spaces so there is some concern

> of what the implications are to the rest of the analysis in the plan if

> we only build it to half size.  On the other hand I have some concerns

> over the idea of induced demand. We know that if we build a road bigger

> more people will drive on it. I imagine if we make parking easier

> downtown more people will choose to drive there. That's fine if you are

> talking about customers but not so good if you are talking about

> employees. I guess I would like to see us build the bigger structure and

> then allocate as much as can be used for short term parking and charge a

> lot for the leased spaces to encourage commuters to develop other

> habits.

>

>

>

> In public works we had some disagreement over approving the Mayor's

> choice to replace Tom Wilkins with Ginny Iverson on the parking

> commission board.  The motion stalled on a tie and will be forwarded to

> the floor with no recommendation.

>

> We also agreed to accept a bunch of stimulus money for the north Higgins

> street project, a project to build a whole bunch of handicap sidewalk

> ramps around town, and the sidewalk project connecting Spruce to

> Greenough. Some of us were expecting a fight from the more republican

> sorts over the evils of stimulus money but no one had any complaints

> today.

>

>

>

> In COW we heard a report from the lobbyist we hired to work the session

> for us in Helena. If you would like to see the written report it can be

> found here:

>

> ftp://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/Packets/Council/2009/2009-05-04/Referrals/Le

> gRptCOWRef.pdf

>

>

>

> Thanks for your interest,

>

>

>

> Bob Jaffe

>

> Missoula City Council, Ward 3

>

> bjaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us <mailto:bjaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us>

>

> 406-728-1052

>

>

>

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-- 
"We will not raise our children to kill another mother's child."  Code Pink
celebrates Mother's Day 2009. http://www.womensaynotowar.org/
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