HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-05-2009 - Information ItemZ n-~~ r ma -~-- - ~ ~ ~..~" e m
Memorandum
To: Frank Clifton, County Manager
County Commissioners
From: Pam Jones, Director of Asset Management & Purchasing Services
Date: November 5, 2009
RE: Proposed Parking Plan for West County Campus Buildings
On April 7, 2009, the BOCC approved a lease for 200 parking spaces in the Eno River Parking
Deck, associated with the West County Campus buildings. The Board will recall this "west
campus" consists of the Gateway Building, the four-story office building and the Library. In
addition to the deck spaces, the County controls 43 surface parking spaces, for a total inventory
of 243 spaces.
At such time all facilities are fully occupied, the County site operations will require approximately
178 parking spaces. This includes parking for approximately 140 county employees and 38
county vehicles assigned to departments occupying the three campus buildings. Given these
operational needs, there will be approximately 65 spaces available for free County customer
parking on the site.
The available on site parking is apportioned as follows:
On grade parking (along Nash and Kollock Street and Gateway): 28 spaces
Library/Office Building surface parking along the side of buildings: 15 spaces
Parking Deck upper level: 120 spaces
Parking Deck ground level: 80 spaces
The Board has previously expressed a desire to accommodate free customer parking on the site
to the extent it is available after the operational needs are addressed. Staff has discussed the
matter at length and proposes the following preliminary plan:
- The County's leased parking spaces are situated on the first and third levels of the
parking deck. Both areas are equipped with electronic control arms that are activated
with electronic access cards. The parking control arm on the third level will be left
"down", thereby requiring the use of an access card to park there. The third level will
provide primary parking for County employees and County vehicle parking.
- The first level deck spaces, or other conveniently located spaces made available to the
County, would be available as overflow employee parking and free parking for those
coming to do business in County offices. Approximately 41 spaces will be available in
this area for free parking to customers doing County business at the site.
- Approximately 38 daily use County vehicles will be parked on site-19 on Nash and
Kollock Street and 19 in a portion of the County's leased space on the parking deck.
- In addition to the 41 customer parking spaces on the deck, 24 surface parking spaces (9
at Gateway, 15 at Library/office) will also be available for customer use, including 6
handicapped access slots.
- Each of the parking spaces on the deck will be numbered. A block of numbered spaces
will be reserved for County customers. Wayfinding signage at strategic points along the
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site travel corridors will allow customers to easily identify the free County customer
parking on site.
- Literature of resident departments and other public information means will be employed
to ensure our customers are well-informed of their on-site free parking options.
- County employees will be assigned one parking deck "hang tag" identifier for their
personal vehicle, as well as a parking gate control card to allow gate access on the third
level. Employees parking on the first level would not utilize the access card, but would
display the hang tag when parking.
- The deck owner employs a person to monitor parking; this person would also be
available to help the County ensure the free spaces were being used for their intended
purpose.
- This plan will allow an estimated 65 spaces for free County customer parking.
- In order to ensure parking is available for customers coming to do business with the
County at this site, atwo-hour parking limit is proposed for all spaces available for County
customer parking. Signage would be posted to this effect.
- It is anticipated the parking plan will be modified and tweaked most often during the first
year of operation as the occupants and staff become accustomed to this new parking
environment. Thereafter, the parking plan will continue to face periodic review to identify
changing conditions and to ensure continued effectiveness.
Implementation of this plan would begin as the office building is populated beginning early
November. Relocation of departments to the office building is planned to take place over the
course of three weeks to ensure sufficient time and resources are available to make the move
and get systems back up and operational.
At this time, completion of the Library is anticipated for mid to late-November; however,
complications may delay the carpet installation thereby delaying the completion date as well.
Carpet must be installed on a surface with an 85% or less moisture content in order to ensure
proper adherence and to minimize off-gassing potential. To date, the moisture content of the
concrete decking has not reached an acceptable level. The contractors are aggressively
attacking the problem to ensure the condition is mitigated as quickly as possible. Assuming the
work moves as currently planned, the Library move will be completed no later than the end of
December.
In addition, in anticipation of the increased traffic these facilities will bring to the downtown area,
the Town of Hillsborough has begun data collection for a parking study which will inform future
planning decisions. County staff has provided and will continue to provide input as the study
progresses.
Please feel free to provide questions and/or comments directly to me at (919) 245-2652 or
pjones(a)_co.orange.nc.us .
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West County Campus Parking Plan Summary
• 243 parking spaces available on site for staff, owned vehicles and county customers
(200 deck, 43 surface parking-see attached site plan)
• 178 parking spaces needed for daily County operations
• Employees will park behind control arm on third level with overflow to park in area
designated for employee parking on the ground level
• Daily use County vehicles will park on Nash and Kollock Street (19 spaces), with remaining
vehicles to park on deck
• Employee vehicles will be identified by hang tag from their mirror;
• Free two-hour parking for County customers is available:
^ Approximately 41 spaces in designated area on deck
^ 24 surface parking spaces around buildings
^ Deck owner staff and County staff will, monitor to ensure spaces are being used as
intended
• Signage will be posted along travel lanes to direct County customers to free parking areas
• Free parking options will be included in public information associated with the new location
as well as on information distributed by the resident departments
• Wayfinding signage will be installed to direct customers to free County customer parking
• Plan will be reviewed periodically to ensure it is working as intended
County Vehicle
Parking Deck
(3rd Level)
120 Employee and
County Vehicle Spaces.
Nash
and
Kollock
Street
(Ground Level)
39 Employee and
County Vehicle
Spaces
41 Free County
Customer Spaces `'
Office Building
Library
Free Public Parking
(15 Spaces)
West
Margaret
Free Public Parking
(9 spaces)
Gateway
Center
West Campus Proposed
Parking Plan Summary:
1. Appr. 65 free spaces for
county customers on site
2. 140 Employee Spaces
3. 38 County Vehicle Spaces
Churton
Street