PARKING ISSUE (7TH AVE N.)
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February 3, 1984
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To:
City Council & City Manager
From: City Engineer
Re: Parking problem on 7th Avenue North between Railroad right-of-way
and First Street North.
The Council authorized a report on the above problem after receiving
complaints that the street was being used extensively for all day parking by
employees of businesses on Excelsior Avenue.
Letters were sent to 13 residents in the block in order to get more
information on the extent of the problem and to request comments and sug-
gestions. Six replies were received and while most of the residents agreed
that the employee parking was a problem, the solutions suggested varied
widely.
While it would be simple to post the street for limited time parking
such as 2 Hour Parking 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., this could work a hardship
on residents as the restriction would apply to them also. In past experi-
ence in situations similar to this complaint, such posting usually resulted
in moving thE: problem to another street or in employees moving cars every 2
hours. The City in recent times has attempted to solve the problem by sug-
gesting ways that the problem could be alleviated by finding or creating
alternative parking areas that would lessen the problem with the least nega-
tive impact on the residents. This is available by means of leased parking,
parking permits, etc.
At the 1/3/84 Council meeting, the Council authorized the signing of
a Railroad land lease from the Hennepin County Railroad Authority for the
abandoned Chicago & Northwestern Railroad right-of-way between 7th and 10th
Avenues North. Discussions took place as to possible uses for this land,
including all day parking. Review of the section between 7th & 8th Avenue
shows the 60 feet of right-of-way to be in use as follows:
(a) the southerly 15 feet is in private use and is fenced and owned
by Rudy Luther Honda,
(b) the northerly 45 feet is used for a roadway to give access to the
Norht-South alley and to connect 7th & 8th Avenue and for some
parking.
It appears that this 45 feet is sufficiently wide to use for both a
roadway and could be developed as an automobile parking lot. Presently there
is some parking use being made of this area but it is not organized and is
limited by the snow which has been pushed to the south against the fence. A
parking plan could be worked out that would still retain the driveway use be-
tween 7th & 8th, permit access to the private garages on the north side of
the right-of-way, and create approximately 20 parking spaces. (see attached
sketch showing one possibility).
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City Council & City Manager
Parking on 7th Avenue North
Page 2
The Railway lease does not permit the City to charge anyone for the use
of the land, but this lease would not prohibit an agreement with a private
party to take over maintenance responsibilities in exchange for such use.
It is our recommendation that the best available solution would involve
entering into discussion with Rudy Luther Honda to work out such an arrange-
ment. Snow would have to be hauled away by the Honda owners so that the full
land area would be available for parking in winter also. Additional space is
presently available for permit parking by employees in the existing space on
the west side of 8th Avenue North. Rudy Luther Honda has been notified that
this matter will be on the Council agenda 2/7/84.
Respectfully submitted,
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John J. Strojan
City Engineer
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