How we got here
Initially, city staff recommended approval. But during the Transportation and Traffic Advisory Board's Jan. 9 meeting, the board recommended to establish a two-hour parking time limit in the area, according to agenda documents.
Garry Ford, director of transportation and capital improvements, said the recommendation prompted a broader evaluation of the permitted parking request, which involved coordination across multiple departments, including engineering, planning and development services, and economic and community development.
Following further evaluation of the request, staff did not recommend approval, according to a meeting presentation.
Some context
The request for parking by permit was driven by concerns from residents in the area who expressed concerns over the growing difficulty of finding parking due to nearby businesses and downtown events, Ford said.
Residents requesting the parking by permit zone on the east and west sides of South Academy Avenue, from the intersection with West Cross Street to the northern and southern intersections with West Coll Street, and on the south side of West Cross Street signed a petition requesting enforcement from 10 a.m. to midnight year-round, according to the meeting presentation. Sixteen out of 20 residents living within the area signed the petition—agreeing to pay for annual parking permits, according to agenda documents.
What residents are saying
Resident Carol Wheeler spoke in support of implementing parking by permit at portions of South Academy Avenue. and West Cross Street.
"I think permit parking is actually a great boundary to say, 'No there's still some parking, go back to the paid parking,'" Wheeler said.
New Braunfels native and resident Rob Snow—who lives on Academy Avenue—also spoke in favor of the proposed parking by permit. Snow said they are seeing more and more parking in front of their homes being monopolized by downtown business employees or their patrons.
What business owners are saying
Matt Gandrud—owner of the State Farm at 409 N. Seguin Ave.—said his business is outside an area where there is permitted parking, and he gets all the overflow that comes from individuals that do not want to park in those permitted areas.
"I think the city needs to take a big comprehensive look on our parking strategies and what we have set up," Gandrud added.
Gandrud also told Community Impact that permanent parking areas push the parking problems to businesses outside the permit zones, making walking more unsafe.
Susie Russell, Huisache Grill's general manager, said they are doing their best to be a good neighbor to downtown by moving their employee parking to other areas.
"It is hard at night obviously with the girls when they're leaving. ... We're asking them to walk by twos, but I just want the council to know that we are doing our part to keep that open so it can be used by guests that come to the restaurant because yes, our parking lot is being taken over more and more by people that are just going wherever downtown," Russell said.
What council is saying
Council member Andre Campos said he was "not a fan" of parking by permit at all, noting that everybody in the city is entitled to use those roads.
"It is not private parking. ... I'm not sure what is so offensive about having somebody else park in front of your house," Campos said.
Council member Lawrence Bradley agreed with Campos, noting that the last parking ordinance was written in 2001 and that it would be beneficial to review their parking ordinances.
Stay tuned
Although the parking by permit application was denied, the city is looking to conduct a comprehensive review of its parking permit ordinance with consideration to the city's overall parking policies, practices and resident expectations, according to the presentation.
