TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Kristin Retherford, Urban Development Director
SUBJECT:
title
Proposed amendments to Salem Revised Code (SRC) Chapter 102 relating to parking and to SRC 78.240 relating to cafe seating areas in sidewalks and alleys
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Shall the City Council engross Ordinance Bill No. 9-17, which amends SRC Chapter 102 to simplify regulations and to reflect new parking technology, amends SRC Chapter 78 to add language that allows restaurants to have seating areas in alleys, and as engrossed, conduct second reading?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Engross Ordinance Bill No. 9-17, which amends SRC Chapter 102 to simplify regulations and to reflect new parking technology, amends SRC Chapter 78 to add language that allows restaurants to have seating areas in alleys, and as engrossed, conduct second reading.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Over the last eighteen months, smart meters and pay stations have been installed around the Capitol Mall area. With the implementation of the new technology, all parking regulations were reviewed, and recommendations for code language clarifications were made.
The current parking regulations only reference meters that indicate expired time with a flashing symbol and only accept coin payment. The new technology accepts debit/credit cards and generates receipts that are required to be displayed on the dash of the vehicle.
In response to recreational vehicles becoming shorter, and increasing occurrences of recreational vehicles parking in residential zones, the proposed amendment will prohibit recreational vehicles of 20 feet or more from parking in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The ordinance approved at first reading would have extended the prohibition through the entire day (24 hours). After further review by staff, and consideration of the potential impact on loading and unloading of recreational vehicles, the proposed 24 hour restriction has been removed, and the existing overnight restriction is being retained.
In addition, as new businesses are operating in the City’s downtown alleys, code language needs to be updated to clarify uses. Sidewalk cafés are allowed outright within a sidewalk with no permit requirement. The proposed amendment to SRC 78.240 will expand the use to alleys, change the definition to eating and drinking establishments, and require that operators maintain at least 15 feet of clearance width to allow passage of vehicles and pedestrians.
The engrossed text can be found at;
1) Section 2 of the ordinance bill (page 5) - SRC 102.040(g), retain “three,”
2) Section 2 of the ordinance bill (page 5) - SRC 102.040(h)(1), retain “between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
3) Section 9 of the ordinance bill (page 10) - SRC 78.240, change “restaurant or café” to “eating or drinking establishment,” add new subsection (b) allowing restaurant seating areas in alleys.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The proposed Ordinance Bill:
1. Replaces the current definition of Block;
2. Expands the definition of parking meter to include pay stations and the ability for new technology to accept debit/credit cards;
3. Reduces the length of a recreational vehicle prohibited from parking in a residential zone from 23 feet in overall length to 20 feet in overall length to address new shorter recreational vehicles;
4. Streamlines parking enforcement by removing SRC 102.045 (c) that is obsolete; and
5. Adds SRC 102.067 which is necessary for enforcement of smart meters and pay stations and associated $25.00 fine for infractions.
6. Adds language to SRC 78.240 to allow alley seating areas for restaurants.
Sheri Wahrgren
Downtown Revitalization Manager
Attachments:
1. Proposed Engrossed Ordinance Bill No. 9-17