<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18852"></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=961493916-18122009><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>Right on Scott. Mature, vibrant downtowns have invested
in structured parking increasing parking supply. This in turn reduces the
demand for surfacing parking lots which then turn into tall buildings.
Once the downtown densifies, transit becomes much more efficient. Density
drives transit efficiency on the origin and destination ends of the trip.
Converting surface parking lots in downtown to residential housing eliminates
the need for the trip in the first place and is the MOST GREEN THING YOU CAN
DO. If you do not have parking, development will not occur as is the case
with the Riverfront Triangle. Structured parking is the the critical
element that makes the economics work for the private sector investment.
That is why TWO new structured parking lots in downtown is the critical first
step to implementation of the downtown master plan.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=961493916-18122009><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=961493916-18122009><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2 face=Arial>Please copy this email and resend this every couple of months
as we seem to need to continually explain this to
folks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=verdana><B><FONT size=2><FONT color=#000000 size=1>Brent
Campbell, P.E.</FONT></B></FONT><I><BR><FONT color=#000000 size=1>President /
CEO</FONT></I><FONT color=#004080 size=5><BR><FONT color=#004080 size=3
face="Arial Black">WGM Group, Inc.</FONT></FONT><FONT size=2><BR></FONT><A
href="http://www.wgmgroup.com/"><B><U><EM><FONT color=#0000ff
size=1>http://www.wgmgroup.com</FONT></EM></B></U></A><BR></FONT></DIV><!--eMS4.8.1.D17M.12Y.2009-->
<DIV> </DIV><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> Scott Sproull
[mailto:scottsproull@gmail.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 18, 2009 9:32
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Geoff Badenoch<BR><B>Cc:</B> pnooney@earthlink.net; Jordan
Hess; Sally Brown; missoulagov@cmslists.com; Brent Campbell<BR><B>Subject:</B>
Re: [MissoulaGov] Parking Kiosks<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I have worked with Geoff Badenoch on many important Downtown issues over
the years and I would just like to say he's doing a great job of explaining how
the Msla Downtown Assoc., the BID and the Missoula Parking Commission are
working together to juggle and keep afloat a lot of similar and dis-similar
Parking Demand Management Balls in the air all at once. As a business
owner and long-time Downtown Observer, it seems to me that the Owners,
Workers, Employees and a bevy of Downtown Support Groups are doing a lot
more with 'alternative - Downtown Friendly' transportation options than Downtown
Customers are at this time. No doubt, being good Customers, they
often have arm-loads of clothing, books or even shoes to bring home with the
help of a motorized vehicle. I'm feeling pretty good that all the
transportation groups associated with our Downtown are doing their best to
'encourage' alternative transportation methods, while also doing their best not
to alienate customers who have not been 'enlightened' yet. Thanks
All! Scott Sproull (below is the finale of my crazy idea for using
new parking concepts to enhance the economic viability of specific, more
economically blighted Downtown areas).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>================================</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">Part Two – What are the Amazing Benefits associated with
replacing a few Antiquated Parking Meters in one small corridor of our Downtown
with (Customer-Attracting, Customer-Convenient & Business Enhancing)
‘Two-Hour-FREE’ Parking spaces?</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">This is the<SPAN> </SPAN>‘Rest of the Story’ on why
I made the ‘seemingly’ crazy suggestion that the ELIMINATION of a small (token)
number of Parking Meters (only 42 out of 1,100… or less than 4%)… and their
replacement with ‘Two-Hour-Free-Parking’ spaces, on Higgins Avenue (specifically
NORTH OF BROADWAY), has a HUGE number of potential benefits that would greatly
improve the economic and cultural vitality of that part of our Downtown (North
of Broadway, on Higgins, but also on streets adjacent to North Higgins) that is
in so much need of some critical, ASAP Business & Economic Development help
(which would also benefit much of the ‘Core’ and ‘Heart’ of our Downtown in the
long-term as well!).</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">* Please note: <SPAN> </SPAN>This ‘how to provide
new customer-friendly parking management concepts and technology’ discussion
amongst dozens of readers of the missoulagov blog has been specifically focused
on the North Higgins Project, which is located on Higgins Avenue, NORTH of
Broadway, and all the way North to the old train depot.<SPAN> </SPAN>We
all continue to repeat this location information because in the past, and again
just yesterday, I and others are too-often horribly misquoted in the media (see
an independent newspaper nearest you) where it says that, Scott Sproull… “
believes two-hour free parking IN FRONT OF HIS HIGGINS AVENUE STOREFRONT [my
emphasis] would make an immediate impact on his business.”<SPAN> </SPAN>If
the reader doesn’t know, my 37 year old business (Hide & Sole)… (1) has
NEVER been North of Broadway, where the North Higgins Improvements Project is
taking place… (2) has had very steady, healthy, organic, above-average growth
for dozens of years, including the last two years… (3) <SPAN> </SPAN>does
not need the extra economic stimulus that other businesses might need in our
Downtown… (4) and I have no idea why this obviously unsaid and untrue statement
about wanting ‘two-hour-free’ parking spaces in front of my store was written
into the misguided article, since the reporter and I were talking about how
“Businesses North of Broadway” could really use some Economic Development help
(which new parking management concepts can play a helpful and positive
role).<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">============</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">The quote below from Missoula’s Master
Plan Consultant and Parking Guru (Dennis Burns) sums up why Downtown
Associations, Downtown Businesses, Downtown Stakeholders and Parking Commissions
don’t always have the same Big-Picture Economic Development Ideas and Visions as
each other. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P><I><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">"Downtown associations<B>
</B>are driven by efforts to revitalize downtown areas and see parking costs as
one element that places them at a competitive disadvantage (compared to the
perception of "free parking" at the malls/suburbs). Parking system
managers are being pushed, usually by municipal governments, to generate
revenues. The bottom line is they lack a shared vision and therefore are
pulling in opposite directions."</FONT></FONT></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">The Question Begs:<SPAN> </SPAN>Are the proposed
parking controls within the North Higgins Improvement District going to be a
real benefit to the economic vitality of the (many suffering and blighted)
businesses in that area, or is the parking commission’s need for revenue and
efficiency enhancements going to get top priority???<SPAN> </SPAN>I think
THAT should be the real question for ‘evaluating’ and ‘modifying’ the parking
controls in the North Higgins Improvement District – Yes?<SPAN>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN></SPAN>No doubt, to financially justify a limited
number of ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking Spaces in the Improvement District, some of
the other ‘hopefully non-customer-related’ parking revenue (like employer &
employee lease rates) can and should be ‘enhanced’ to pay for the customers
increased support of our Downtown.</FONT></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">Now on to some ‘Alternative & Crazy Parking Options”
for the Economic Enhancement of the Businesses - North of Broadway (and
including those Businesses on and adjacent to Higgins)!</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><B>Problem</B>: Some people reading this blog find it
very inconvenient and a pain when they don’t always have their ‘meter coins’
with them to pay the ‘antiquated’ mechanical parking meters that are definitely
not as convenient as the more-modern, electronic, single-space meters (or
multi-space machines which conveniently take coins, credit cards or debit
cards).</FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><B>Alternative Solutions:</B> ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking
does not require coins, credit cards or payments.<SPAN> </SPAN>In fact,
the Parking is FREE, to the customer and visitor, but for a limited time of
two-hours or less (which is plenty of time for a lunch, shopping or stroll
through the Downtown.<SPAN> </SPAN>Parking Enforcement Officers (PEO’s)
aka ‘Meter Maids,’ are just as essential to the success of ‘Two-Hour-Free’
Parking Programs as with Meters, so that Business Owners and Downtown Workers do
not attempt to hog parking spaces for long periods of time (or compete for vital
parking with their own and Business neighbors customers).<SPAN>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">Missoula currently has short-term FREE Parking in
high-demand locations like City Hall and the Post Office, but few have thought
about the Economic Development Potential of changing a few meters in the N.
Higgins Improvement District to ‘Two-Hour-Free,’ Customer-Friendly,
Business-Enhancing, Parking.</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">With ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking… Customers & Visitors do
not have to deal with broken mechanical and/or electronic meters, and they do
not have to search up and down the block for a multi-space, electronic,
(sometimes broken) machine… that actually might be in the opposite direction of
where they want to go (these were serious concerns mentioned by some on the
blog).</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">BUT MORE SO… from a Business Development & Downtown
Enhancing point of view, setting aside a few (token) short-term parking spaces,
that are (very important here) FREE to customers and visitors (and paid for by
owners and workers), would do a couple of other really positive and important
things:</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN><FONT size=3>A)</FONT><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><FONT
size=3>Create Customer Demand [Economic Driver], and no doubt customer
competition for parking spaces that are FREE, but purposely placed on Higgins
(North of Broadway), where there is a specific district where many of the
under-developed Businesses would really appreciate some extra customers and
economic incentives.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN><FONT size=3>B)</FONT><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><FONT
size=3>Create a FANTASTIC Customer BUZZ & Extra Customer Referrals to the
Downtown!!!<SPAN> </SPAN>This would be a Marketers Dream, since for the
first time in decades, there really WOULD BE (just a few, but at least some)
Free Parking Spaces for Customers in a very specific part of our
Downtown.<SPAN> </SPAN>In reality, you might only stumble across an open
Free Parking Space on Higgins every once in a Blue Moon (rarely), but I suspect
many Downtown Supporters would find themselves driving further up into the North
Higgins Improvement District to see if they can WIN a Free Parking Space (like a
Free Lottery).<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN><FONT size=3>C)</FONT><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><FONT
size=3>Most business-people know that the best, cheapest, most effective
Advertising is hard-earned ‘Word-of-Mouth’ excitement from customers who are
super-happy about a product or service they received and want to tell their
friends, (internet friends) and families about.<SPAN> </SPAN>FREE-TWO-HOUR
Parking is just the ticket to create a Downtown Economic Buzz that would quickly
spread throughout the Missoula and regional community, and very much benefit the
entire Downtown.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN><FONT size=3>D)</FONT><SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN><FONT
size=3>If we are going to test a new, revolutionary (small-scale &
experimental) way to improve the parking controls and customer service in the
North Higgins Improvements District, let’s put up a few, very simple, low
maintenance, non-mechanical, non-electric ‘Two-Hour-Free’ Parking Signs and see
what happens. <SPAN> </SPAN>It can always be modified a little, or a lot
later on.<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN></SPAN>Test this</FONT></FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3> Idea - Modify It - Other
Input?</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV><SPAN class=sg>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">Scott Sproull</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">Hide & Sole</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3
face="Times New Roman">Downtown Since 1972</FONT></DIV></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 12/17/09, <B class=gmail_sendername>Geoff
Badenoch</B> <<A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:geoffb@ism.net" target=_blank>geoffb@ism.net</A>> wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"
class=gmail_quote>
<DIV lang=EN-US link="blue" vlink="blue">
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">There are too many
variables in the cost of developing a parking facility to nail down a figure
that exactly. Is land included? Each space must have a way to get
to it with a car. That is called circulation and varies with the size
and configuration of the structure. Internal utilities—lighting, water,
security cameras, fire suppression, ventilation, etc. all have costs that vary
with each structure. Architectural detail to dress up the structure can
vary depending how important aesthetics are to the community. Most
professionals use a range that these days is generally between $24K and $32K
per space.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Typically financing
of municipal parking structures is done through use of cash reserves of the
parking authority, revenue bonds (fees for parking retire the debt), or tax
increment financing, or a combination of those methods. Some exploration
of use of what are known as “new market tax credits” for a potential new
structure in </SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Missoula</SPAN></FONT><FONT
color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> has been done, but I
don’t believe any conclusions have been arrived at with regard to whether it
is a feasible or appropriate method. Oftentimes, municipal parking can
be developed in conjunction with private partners, but it is very
complicated.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Our Missoula Parking
Commission has been a good partner to transit and made several significant
cash contributions of parking revenues to subsidize public transportation as a
means of what is called “parking demand management.” </SPAN></FONT><FONT
color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">PDM</SPAN></FONT><FONT
color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> is the philosophy
that follows what Jordan was talking about—reducing the demand for parking by
giving people an alternative means (not cars) to get to Downtown. Are
there other ways to devote parking revenues (as opposed to tax supported
payments) to transit? Probably, but it is all part of a development of a
long-range strategy to accommodating people’s travel to and from Downtown.
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BODY></HTML>