At first glance, it may seem that there are few local topics up for discussion as insanely boring as parking.  But just try discussing it with your neighbor and you’ll quickly discover that “parking” is a volatile closet issue for many.  Open that door and you may suddenly find yourself knee-deep in a personal struggle for “what is right” and “what is annoying.”

Here in Decatur, a walkable ‘burb fighting the influence of surrounding speedable sprawl, the issue takes on added weight and dimension.

For decades now, Decatur has bucked almost any developmental trend taken up by the rest of greater Atlanta.  Back in the 1970s, when many of those same suburbs shunned MARTA, Decatur asked that the line be moved so it would cut straight through the center of the city.  And while the Atlanta suburbs continued to crawl across the Georgia piedmont and into the mountains and swamps (circa 2008), Decatur looked towards greater density, shunning wider artery roads with highway-like speed limits in favor of street-narrowing.

But there’s one area where Decatur has a harder time ignoring the car-tendencies of greater Atlanta. Parking.

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This past Monday, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved Farm Burger’s parking variance to set up shop in the old Voila space at 410 West Ponce de Leon Ave.

The request was tabled in November and the applicant, WPD Center, was asked to return after complying with the required public notice procedures.  At the time, a handful of area residents submitted letters (pages 22 & 23) asking the ZBA to deny the application.

However, with the applicant now in compliance with the public notice procedures, a variance, which includes a shared parking agreement with Sharian Inc. and First Christian Church of Decatur, was approved on Monday, .  The ZBA added the following new conditions…

- Signage shall be placed at the front of the property that indicates the location of off- site parking and the hours of availability,

- The shared parking agreements with the First Christian Church of Decatur and Sharian, Inc. submitted with the application shall be revised to include notice to the city if the parking agreement is changed or terminated,

- The variance is limited to this application and the Farm Burger tenant, and

- Employee ID cards will be visible in or on the employee’s car parked at the First Christian Church.

Neil Dobbs recused himself from the ZBA vote, presumably because he lives in the adjoining neighborhood where parking has become a rather contentious topic.

h/t: TheDNO

Over on the Decatur Minute, Cheryl gives us a pictoral report from a morning press event surrounding our new Pay-By-Cell parking meters (pdf).  She tells us to look out for a WABE interview that Lyn did.  (We will!  And post here when we find it!)

Well, it seems like the Associated Press was also present, because an article about Mayor Floyd pulling into a parking spot on the Square is already beginning to pop up on local newspaper websites all over the country.

Here’s a link to the AP article in the Idaho Statesman!

There’s some new info (to me!) about the technology in the article, including…

A handful of other cities around the nation employ similar systems. But Decatur is the first that uses technology that flashes the time bought on a meter instead of, say, a printed ticket, said Eric Groft, a StreetSmart project manager.

About 50 of Decatur’s 385 meters are outfitted with the pay-by-cell equipment, which costs an estimated $200 per meter. Each is outfitted with radios that can transmit data and sensors for detecting cars. It also lets drivers pay the old-fashioned way using change.

The Decatur Minute announces the installation of pay-by-cell parking meters on N. McDonough and E. Court House Square and is asking for feedback from those that have used it.

To be honest, the process sounds kind of complicated.  You gotta sign up online and then carry around a user number and password (The Decatur Minute has a step-by-step flyer, which I can’t link to) But I guess if you’ve left all your change in the dryer, or you need to recharge the meter and your miles away, it could come in handy.

There’s also a 25 cent service charge for each transaction,  so those that use change are, in effect, rewarded.  Shouldn’t there be incentive to try the new method as opposed to stick with the old?

UPDATE: Just to prove I’m not a recreational griper, I did a Google search of “Pay-by-Cell” parking meters.  From what I’ve seen, areas of San Fran, Vancouver, Oklahoma City, Houston, Coral Gables and Boston have already adopted or tested the technology.

However, I can’t find much that talks about the success/failures of the system.  Here’s an April ‘08 article about San Francisco’s system saying that response has been “tepid” and a conversation on Portland Transport from the same month saying that their version of this system hasn’t caught on. Different articles talk about a city’s ability to now vary the rate for parking depending on the time of day and the obvious benefit of eventually doing away with meter maids if the system were universally accepted or adopted.

Over at The Decatur Minute, Catherine notes the new valet parking being offered on Friday and Saturday nights at the top of the N. McDonough loop on the Square.  For $5, you can avoid the hassle of trolling for metered parking and just let a valet hoof it to/from the DeKalb County Courthouse lot for you.

The idea is the brainchild of Saba, but obviously anyone can use it.  I think everyone (the city included) is interested to see if the idea of paying $5 to park (not including tip) will catch on.  If so, it will be a great solution to filling up that empty deck!

Signs on the doors of Ted’s Montana Grill and Chocolate Bar warn people parking in the CVS Plaza that leave the premises could have their cars booted. Patrons are urged to park in the Artisan deck or pay $75 to have the boot removed.

Guess my prayers have been answered. Pizza’s back on the menu!

Back on June 9th, Carl warned that Selig was booting cars at Commerce Square…but I don’t think I ever posted it. So there it is.

Smart-growth guru and frequent commenter, Scott, recently got in touch with parking expert Todd Litman about the 315 W. Ponce controversy.  After agreeing that an 18% reduction in parking is adequate for the development, Litman suggests a compromise that protects both the neighborhood and lets the developer build fewer parking spots at the outset.

“…you can probably have no trouble with an 18% reduction from the conventional standard in that situation, since it has many factors that tend to reduce parking demands, including density, land use mix, transit proximity, good walkability, and lower-income demographics.

I suggest that you develop a contingency-based parking management plan, which identifies various parking management strategies that can be implemented as needed. For example, the plan might specify how parking will be shared, regulated, and priced (including cashing out and unbundling), plus carshare services available on site, and the development of an overflow parking plan. The plan can also specify how regulations will be enforced (for example, applying “resident only” restrictions on nearby streets) and problems monitored (for example, with a complaint line to the city parking department). The plan can include some additional strategies that will be implemented if needed (for example, if the city receives more than a dozen complaints of overflow parking on nearby streets), such as arrangements to use nearby off-site spaces (such as renting some parking spaces at a nearby church), new regulations, higher fees, improved bicycle parking facilities, creation of a transportation management association, improved enforcement, or even construction of additional structured parking). This plan can be enforced with a legal agreement or a bond.

This type of contingency-based planning reduces the need to predict exactly how many parking spaces will be needed. Most likely, few of these additional strategies will actually be needed, but it reduces the pressure on developers if they are able to say specifically how any future parking problems will be addressed.”

Sounds pretty reasonable to me.  I wonder if any of the involved parties (neighborhood/city/developers) would get behind such a plan.

For the past few weeks its been damn near impossible to find a open parking spot in the CVS plaza, as nearly every space is taken on any given night.  Going to pick up a pizza from Mellow Mushroom has become an adventure it never was in the past. Taking those sharp corners and looking for a spot,  I now often park behind Mellow Mushroom if I’m lucky or (if I’m not) out by Decatur First Bank.

“What the heck is going on?!” I thought, dodging an oncoming minivan.

And then it hit me.

It’s a result of JBL putting up those solar-powered parking meters in the 315 W. Ponce lot and threating people more publicly with fines and booting if they parked there.  So now, instead of paying to park at 315, all of the people that used to illegally park there have moved across Ponce Pl into the CVS plaza where its a lot more difficult to spot someone that is not frequenting the establishments in that plaza.

Well, I think it just plain stinks.  All of these empty parking lots and for one reason or another (be it location or price) everyone still parks on the street or at CVS.

We need viable alternatives!  My pizza is getting cold!