Parking Lot Fantasies
Decatur Metro | December 30, 2011 | 1:39 pm
I know that parking can be a touchy subject around here, especially when it comes to surface parking lots. Some folks under-estimate the need for space, others over-estimate. And round and round we go. I’ll leave solving that conundrum to the Zoning Task Force.
Be that as it may, this lot along Church Street in the heart of downtown, which serves as parking for many of the stores/restaurants along the Square, always gets my imaginary juices following when I think about the non-asphalt possibilities. My latest random idea? An urban park stretching from the back steps of City Hall all the way down to Church at the southern portion end of the lot! Benches, statues, hedges. Sorta like this. Then build up the northern end of the parking lot with street-front retail and with a small parking deck tucked in at the rear.
Now let me just say, I know this is privately-owned land (except for the parking behind City Hall) and thus not likely to ever happen – even if the increased property values around the park would help offset its cost – but it’s always fun to dream!
P.S. In case my crappy picture doesn’t give you a good sense of where I’m talking about – here’s the Google Streetview of the lot.
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While we’re imagining:
– my vision for E. Howard between Feast and Carpe Diem: more bars and restaurants, please.
– “Trinity Triangle,” similar to your idea above, urban park setting.
– Delta Credit Union, across from Taco Mac, should be a reading room/coffee house/jazz club like a grown-up Java Monkey.
– and who’s going to organize The Great Decatur Criterium around the streets of downtown. North on Church, right on E Ponce, right on Candler, right on E. Howard to Trinity, right on Church. Sprint at Sycamore. Close off Sycamore between Church and Candler for cycling fair, vendors, music, other festival attractions.
The underutilized, underperforming nature of the property you’re describing always amazes me. It is essentialy next to a MARTA station and it is used for parking? Why isn’t the tax assessment on the value of the land sufficient to motivate development? No doubt the longtime owners have virtually no debt and a low investment basis. The site is zoned for intense development and could probably yield $3-$4 million per acre if it was on the market.
I have had the same thoughts (urban park) for those vacant car lots along both sides of Scott Blvd… Vast asphalt and tired old buildings bull-dozed for trees and grass and meandering paths and benches…
An urban park would be wonderful. My 3 year old & I would probably be there everyday. As of right now we pass that parking lot on our daily walks to the Agnes Scott campus, which we essentially use as a park and I have to say it always amazes me the number of cars that zip in & out of that lot without even looking for traffic or pedestrians. Decatur just needs more parks.
Redeveloping a surface lot into a park — or pretty much anything else — is always a good idea in a compact, walkable area like downtown Decatur. And the park idea is especially good.
If this was the unincorporated suburbs with nothing walkable around, you’d have a good argument for keeping surface parking. Here, it’s just a waste of space that could be used in a way that is much more enriching and beneficial to the community at large.
But like you say, it’s all up to the private owner. Dreaming is fun.
Imagining a park or mixed used development in the parking lot on the corner of Church and Commerce (next to the high rise across building across the street from the Wed farmers market) and a park outside of Brickstore Pub rather than a parking lot.
I’m sorry that your fantasy life involves parking lots and wish you a more exotic 2012…
I like the idea, but they make $$ with virtually no overhead as a worn out parking lot. Take this lot away and more non-Decaturites don’t come in to our newly hot drinking and dining scene…
DM proposes a small deck at the rear. I love the idea. And There’s a parking lot on the Square one’s too!
One of the things that Decatur will need to solve when it executes it’s full scale “parking plan” is how to alert drivers to the hidden decks.
Hidden decks are certainly overall a good thing for walky communities like Decatur, but the downside is that they’re hidden to the people that want to use them. Ridiculously obvious but apparently not all that easy an issue to solve.
maybe in addition to more lights and bright paint on the stairwell of the county deck and path from county deck to square, we could have a few parking ambassadors? The ambassadors could provide escorts back and forth to the deck, and a consistant bodies in that path as to deter any unwanted criminal activity (not that I’ve heard of much there, but people will feel as safe as the area is)… maybe the positions could be funded by a pool of the restaurants?
Decatur has a hotel/motel tax which was originally meant to pay off the conference center. Now that that is done, it can be used for tourism related things, and is paying for things like the convention and visitor’s bureau and the new director, etc. Perhaps that would be a source of funding.
I think this is actually a very good idea! There is plenty of parking in downtown Decatur to be able to redevelop all of the surface parking lots, but either many people do not know how to find it, refuse to pay a few dollars to park, or just refuse to park in a garage for some reason.
This is what I love so much about Decatur. It’s a place where people care about “place” and dream big!
I’m afraid that those of you who are lucky enough to live in the city forget that those of us who live just a few miles away and have to drive to enjoy the downtown area actually have to fight for parking (rather fiercely I might add). The street parking around the square is far from ideal with the Marta and the church right there. How many of you have done the Brick Store parking loop to find no open spots?? Exactly. I like that lot. The parking attendants are always pleasant and friendly.
+1!
I love the concept for a park or some other community space but I completely disagree that, as one commenter above says “…, it’s just a waste of space that could be used in a way that is much more enriching and beneficial to the community at large”.
I live less than 2 miles from the square but it is just a little too far to walk for most things/days. Parking is critical to me patronizing local Decatur business. I cant buy local if I cant get there. I think lively, active, profitable business are beneficial to the community at large as much as parks are.
Yes – there is an underutilized parking deck (or 2) nearby but it will remain underutilized – at least by me – until it is better lit and there is a clear, more heavily trafficked path to the deck from downtown businesses. I am a single woman and used the deck once at night but just didn’t feel safe on the walk to my car (at 8PM). The Church St lot is staffed and the walk from the square to the lot is well lit and traffic flows along side it. Its worth the $5 to me for the security.
Didn’t mean to write a novel but this hits home with me. I would love to see more parks, green space, etc… but this lot, while not beautiful, is far from wasted and sorely needed in this town.
LLD – I agree with you. The dimly-lit parking garages with no attendants are off limits for me too. The open air parking lot on Church near the MARTA station is ideal – plenty of light even during evening hours, and usually has an attendant on duty. I don’t ever choose an enclosed parking lot when there is a choice, or unless I am with other people. In downtown Atlanta, I will park in the Emory Clinic/Hospital parking lot, though, because it is ALWAYS attended 24/7, with plenty of traffic coming and going.
I agree that the dim lighting and emptiness of the county deck, and to a lesser extent, the deck in back of Parkers, are major deterrents to their use. No matter how dangerous or not they truly are, going alone to a deserted, poorly lit parking deck goes against the advice of police and other safety experts. It wouldn’t take much to improve the decks–better lighting, paint and better signage inside, directions and signage around town to the decks, active monitoring, and intelligent promotion. Right now, the only folks who seem well aware of the decks are the bloggers who bemoan their underuse. Problem is that the decks are probably not under the control of the City. Perhaps it could buy them? I would think that the cost might be offset by the improved revenue after an upgrade and the increased business drawn to Decatur.
Once again, there is a HUGE county parking deck that is right next to the courthouse that is FREE on nights and weekends. I’m so tired of people complaining about a lack of parking when this deck is virtually empty on nights and weekends. Are people so lazy that if they can’t park directly in front of a business they won’t walk the 2-3 blocks from the deck? Please!
“Are people so lazy”
You would be surprised how many Atlanta natives, even people just outside the city, who don’t know it’s there, much less free. Got nothing to do with lazy.
Surely there’s got to be a better way to inform people unfamiliar with the area that the deck is there.
+ 1,000
I vote for “Living Walls” murals that say “FREE PARKING HERE” in giant letters on the side of all “hidden” free parking spots.
+1 (…as long as it also says “After 6 PM and on weekdays”. A giant glow-in-the-dark psychedelic arrow pointing towards the garage opening wouldn’t hurt.
If you read DM’s proposal it was to include a parking deck as part of the redevelopment of the property. So any surface parking lost would be replaced in the deck, if not provide more.
FYI to any drivers—-the parking deck adjacent to the courthouse is FREE after 6 pm M-F as well as ALL DAY Sarurdays and Sundays. I’m not sure this is common knowledge, but it’s virtually empty during these hours and is fairly central to ALL of the venues in Decatur!!
Many of us are aware of it, have used it then opted to use the paid lot for the reasons I mentioned before. Id love to park for free and make more use of that deck, but the access from the deck to the businesses I frequent is less than ideal – not distance, mind you, but just the general lack of traffic and visibility that I feel I need for my own personal safety. Cant be too careful anywhere, even in Decatur!
I’m not so certain that the perception that this lot is “safer” than a garage is true at all. I think it is just a perception. I’ve never heard of one crime being committed in any of the city’s parking garages but yet plenty out in the
uh what?
Please keep in mind our handicapped citizens who oftentimes can’t walk as far as the parking decks require. That Church Street parking lot may be an eyesore – but its one of the closest to downtown shopping.
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I can’t love this parking lot until the people who manage it start letting me park for free to pickup an order from Raging Burrito. Having to get it validated and then get my money back when I leave is such a waste of time.