Ellsworth Downtown Parking Study

Notes from Public Meeting of November 20, 2007 at 6PM:

Fourteen people were present representing downtown businesses and the city. See list.

Michele Gagnon explained the goals for the parking study and introduced the consultant.

Tom Gorrill of Gorrill-Palmer Consulting Engineers, Inc presented his firms approach to the study, including data collection, analysis of current conditions, future development & parking needs, parking policy discussion, next steps. Mr. Gorrill used projected slides during the following discussion:

Parking Inventory

• Inventory of Existing Parking included:

Ø On-street public parking by time restriction

Ø Off-street public parking by time restriction

Ø Private customer and/or employee parking

• Preliminary estimate of parking supply

Ø 1,225 spaces within study area

Ø 138 on-street spaces in study area

Ø 540 spaces in Public Lots (City, County, Courthouse, Post Office)

Ø 547 spaces in Private Parking Lots

Utilization of Existing Supply (counted July 23, 2007)

• Public Lots (540 spaces)

Ø County Building, Courthouse, Jail (122 spaces)

§ Average: 74% Occupied

§ Peak: 81% Occupied

Ø City Hall and Library Lots (286 spaces)

§ Average: 70% Occupied

§ Peak: 81% Occupied

Ø City Lot on Water Street (41 spaces)

§ Average: 80% Occupied

§ Peak: 95% Occupied

Ø City Lots on Franklin Street (40 spaces)

§ Average: 50% Occupied

§ Peak: 63% Occupied

• On-Street Parking (138 spaces)

Ø Average Usage: 48% occupied (85 to 90% is ideal for businesses)

Ø Peak Usage 12:30pm-2:30pm

§ 62% occupied

• Public Off-Street Parking (540 spaces)

Ø Average Usage: 67% occupied

Ø Peak Usage 11:00am-12:00pm

§ 78% occupied

§ City Hall Lots (216 spaces)

Ø Average Usage: 73% occupied

Ø Peak Usage 11:00am-12:00pm

§ 85% occupied

Current Parking Policies – City Ordinance

• 1-hour parking

Ø Main St - State St to School St

• 2-hour parking

Ø Franklin St – Pine St to City Hall Lot

Ø State St – Main St to Union Trust Lot

Ø Water St – Main St to Key Bank Lot

• 15-minute parking

Ø City Hall Lot, Church St Area – 3 spaces

Overall Parking Lot Conditions

• Most lots paved and in fair condition

• Should be re-striped

Ø May also increase capacity

• Gravel portion of City Hall Back Upper Lot

Ø Currently about 17 to 20 spaces

Ø Could likely increase if paved and striped

• Signage in fair condition

Ø Some signage missing/inadequate

• Lighting poor to fair condition

Ø Water St Lot – no direct lighting

Ø City Hall Back Upper Lot – no lighting

Growth and Development:

• Downtown Redevelopment Potential – next 10 years

Ø Morrison Lot

§ 10,960 sf commercial area; 1.46 ac public square

§ Up to 46 new parking spaces created

Ø Grand Auditorium

§ Currently 483 seats

§ Expand to 950 seats (3 performance areas)

Ø Maine Grind/Hancock Oil

§ Possible Farmers Market in parking area between

Ø Union Trust/Camden National merger

§ Could result in fewer employees in downtown???

Ø Morton’s (9 School St)

§ Office space ?? – limited on-site parking

Ø Fernald Building (114 Franklin St)

§ Redevelopment potential – limited on-site parking

• Parking Impact of Redevelopment – next 10 years

Ø Morrison Lot

§ +/- 50 spaces needed

§ Up to 46 new parking spaces created

Ø Grand Auditorium

§ 317 spaces needed (total)

§ 156 spaces needed due to expansion

Ø Maine Grind/Hancock Oil

§ +/- 4 spaces needed

§ May lose +/- 5 spaces

Ø Union Trust/Camden National merger

§ Could result in excess spaces???

Ø Morton’s (9 School St)

§ +/- 12 spaces needed

Ø Fernald Building (114 Franklin St)

§ +/- 12 spaces needed

• Overall Impact of Redevelopment – next 10 years

Ø Over 230 new parking spaces will be needed (not counting for shared parking)

Ø 46 created on Morrison Lot

Ø 185 new spaces still needed (156 for The Grand Auditorium)

Ø Currently, 120 off-street spaces

§ Franklin St Lots, City Hall Main Lot, Library Lot

Ø Currently, 55 on-street spaces

§ Franklin St, Water St, Hancock St, School St

Potential Parking Development Strategy

Next Steps:

• Recommendations to improve efficiency of existing parking supply

• Identify locations for potential future parking areas

• Review and recommend revisions to parking regulations

• Development of parking management plan

Discussion: (Questions and answers followed the presentation)

• Availability of parking for handicapped people needs to be considered.

• Based on the Ellsworth Land Use Ordinance, 1750 parking spaces are needed for the existing buildings in the study area. That is 40% more than the existing 1225 spaces. The peak demand, as observed during the survey is for only 750 spaces. Shared parking policy needs to be developed and implemented accordingly in the zoning ordinance.

• Park and Ride lots generally need a larger population base to be warranted.

• Parking garages are very expensive at about $20,000 per space and not currently needed in Ellsworth per the survey figures.

• The survey date (Monday July 23, 2007) was fairly close to being the ideal day that was previously described by the committee. It was a jury selection day at the courthouse (65 jury candidates looking for parking at one time) and was not great “beach” weather day, with drizzle in the afternoon.

• Planning staff will update the web page for the project.

• An informal study of parking lots by downtown business owners found that about 130 spaces could be added by reconfiguring some of the lots.

• In the report, the consultants will suggest possible parking lot management, regulations, enforcement, upgrades and maintenance guidelines for local decision making.

• Parking lot signage and lighting are areas that need much improvement.

• Though there are enough total parking spaces, we need to think of how we use the Main street area spaces with better usage of fringe areas by employees.

• Winter parking regulations need to be posted on streets and better publicized.

• The health needs of people and alternative transportation need to be considered.

• The downtown area could:

Ø Be more welcoming,

Ø Provide an information kiosk,

Ø Have improved pedestrian connections,

Ø Have more open space and

Ø Market itself differently to bring in more business.

• The City should identify low cost improvements and grant opportunities.

• City staff is looking into bringing under one cover the following studies: Quality Main Street, Waterfront Master Plan, Waterfront Redevelopment Plan, Bike-Ped Study and this Parking Study.

The meeting adjourned at 8 PM.