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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-11-04 - AGENDA REPORTS - TEMP PARKING ORCHARD VILLAGE R (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR DATE: November 4, 1997 City Manager Approve Item to be presented SUBJECT: TEMPORARY PARKING ALONG ORCHARD VILLAGE ROAD SOUTH OF AVENIDA RONADA RESOLUTION NO. 97-135 DEPARTMENT: Transportation and Engineering Services RECOMMENDED ACTION 1. City Council adopt Resolution No. 97-135, allowing temporary parking from December 6, 1997 to December 24, 1997, along the west side of Orchard Village Road south of Avenida Ronada, a total of 1,000 feet; 2.. Direct staff to do appropriate adjustments to existing signs to effect this resolution and also invoice Mr. Jim Blumel, Vice President of Frosty's Forest, Inc., for all related costs; and 3. Direct staff to require Mr. Blumel to widen the Frosty's Forest driveway to 26 feet wide, and provide an all-weather road between Orchard Village Road and the rear parking lot (prior to 1998 Christmas sales). Mr Blumel is to also provide sufficient parking inside the lot to accommodate the extra requested 40 parking spaces, because the temporary parking may not be recommended in the future. Mr. Jim Blumel, Vice President of Frosty's Forest, Inc., has requested that the City allow temporary parking on Orchard Village Road. The request is for temporary parking for a total of 1,000 feet along the west side of Orchard Village Road, 500 feet on each side of the entrance to Frosty's Forest for the period beginning December 6, 1997 to December 24, 1997. Frosty's Forest has been in business at the same location since 1979, and their customers have been parking along Orchard Village Road adjacent to the subject property until the establishment of a parking prohibition in the vicinity. In the last several years, the City has allowed temporary parking along the west side of Orchard Village Road, which provided a parking area for customers during the Christmas business period. Adopted: I1-1 Agenda Item: TEMPORARY PARKING ALONG ORCHARD VILLAGE ROAD SOUTH OF AVENIDA RONADA November 4,1997 - Page 2 Over the past few years, staff has had a concern related to the parking of vehicles for a long duration along this high-volume, high-speed road. This matter has also been shared with the Council in the past. Starting Christmas of 1996, Mr. Blumel has provided about 20 parking spaces in the rear of his lot to be used for customers. Mr. Blumel believes that the on-site spaces are not adequate and is asking for an additional 40 parking spaces to be allowed along Orchard Village Road adjacent to the site. Per Council's direction of November 12, 1996, Mr. Blumel was informed that he should maximize his current parking.layout and/or.look for other customer parking locations because the temporary parking may not be recommended in future years. Mr. Blumel was also requested to widen the access driveway to 26 feet and to provide an all-weather road to the rear parking area. The recent field review of the area indicates that none of the above items were implemented to facilitate and improve the access in and out of the site or the parking situation. Staff recommends allowing temporary parking along that portion of Orchard Village Road as requested by Mr. Blumel. Furthermore, it is recommended that the applicant improve his access to the site with a 26 -foot -wide driveway and an all-weather road, and also expand his parking facility. As in previous years, Mr. Jim Blumel has indicated that he would pay all necessary costs involved in providing temporary parking at the subject location, at an estimated cost of $166.50. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Deny request. 2. Other action as determined by Council. FISCAL IMPACT As in previous years, Mr. Blumel is required to pay for related costs to implement Resolution No. 97-135 to allow temporary parking on Orchard Village Road. This would increase Revenue Account No. 02-3820 by $166.50 should the temporary parking be approved. ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 97-135 Exhibit "A!'- Project Location Map and Temporary Parking Exhibit "B" - Mr. Blumel's Letter dated September 9, 1997 Exhibit "C" - Previous City Letter to Mr. Blumel dated December 3, 1996 RJR:lkI w=d1\re97-135.ryr s•- � S r, Sl� 0 V IP "A" i September 9, 1997 ROSTY'S FOREST Santa Clarita City Council 23920 Valencia Blvd. Santa Clarita, CA 91355-9126 Dear Council Members: Santa Clarita, CA 1ES T . LETTERS ITY MANAGER. CITY ICLE-r-.- please LE� :. �PIES T4: c please prepare a " for Backeround y Our family owns Frosty's Forest Christmas tree farm on Orchard Village Ro in Valencia. Frosty's Forest has been at this same location since 1979 as a choose -and -cut retail Chtistn business. Our•entire business season consists of about 3 1/2 weeks between Thanksgiving Christmas each year. For several years the curb lane of Orchard Village Rd. adjacent to the tree lot was the legal parking area for customers. Orchard Village has three southbound lanes, only two of which are traffic lanes while the curb lane had been for parking. Approximately five years ago the City installed No Parking signs along this section of the road, but each year the City Council has permitted temporary parking during the Christmas season for the benefit of tree buyers. Customer access to the tree lot is primarily from Orchard Village, and no other street parking is reasonably available nearby. In the past two years we have enlarged the on-site parking within the tree farm We can now provide parking for up to 20 vehicles, which is adequate most of the time. We have several signs directing customer traffic onto our lot in an attempt to minimize street parking. However, as you might imagine, there are a few peak periods of Christmas tree sales when more than 20 vehicles need to be accommodated. These periods can be identified in advance; and it is at these specific times that some temporary street parking is required. Prior to 1996 permission for temporary parking had been granted by the City Council for the entire period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In 18 years there has never been a single incident resulting from the street parking; however, last year the City Traffic Engineer recommended that this permission be granted only at peak business times when our on-site lot was fid The Traffic Engineer's office was to monitor the situation and cover the No Parking RECEIVED SEP 18 1997 Transportation d D&eaiag sitY = cil, of Side carne Council Members September 9, 1997 Page 2 oft signs as needed. However, the monitoring did not take place, and many of our customers were unable to find parking space. Others, accustomed to parking on the street after several years of doing so, were scared away be sheriffs deputies who threatened to issue parking tickets. Needless to say this confusion resulted in a serious loss of business for us last year. My sons and I have a substantial investment in this farm and in the Christmas tree inventory. We have only three and half weeks each December to recover our costs and try to make a small profit. I do not believe the City Council intended to single out our little seasonal business for unnecessary and oppressive restrictions. Just to the north of us on Orchard Village, parking is permitted year around in front of Pinecrest School Plan Request Our request is for temporary parking along the west side of Orchard Village Rd for a distance of 500 feet to the north and 500 feet to the south of the entrance to Frosty's Forest, which is at the traffic light at Dalby Rd (Exhibit A). Further, this request is just for the peak business times, which this year will be the three weekends prior to Christmas, namely December 6-7, 13-14 and 20-21, and weekday evenings from December 12 through 24 (Exhibits B and Q. At these times we will need street parking for up to 40 vehicles. I estimate that up to six No Parking signs . would have to be covered at these peak times. We could monitor the situation ourselves and cover the signs only as needed The Traffic Engineer's office has suggested that we should eventually provide all parking within the tree farm This would be impractical and an awful waste of growing space when you consider that we would have to eliminate approximately 16 trees to add just one more parking space. If we were to add 40 spaces to provide for peak periods, that would be 640 trees lost just to have enough parking on the three Saturdays, three Sundays and eight weekday evenings that constitute the peak periods. The rest of the year all that potential growing area would be wasted. Please consider this request so that we may continue to provide the Christmas tree farm that has been a tradition in our community for many years. Thank you. Yours truly, p rm Blumel, Sr. 23256 Lyons Avenue Santa Clarita, CA 91321 (805)255-8777 City of Santa Clarita 23920 Valencia Suite 300 Santa Clarita California 91355-2196 December, 3, 1996 Mr. Jim Blumel Vice President Phone • (805) 259-2489 Fax (805)259-8125 Frosty's Forest 23256 Lyons Avenue Santa Clarita, CA 91321 Subject: Temporary Parking Permit Along Orchard Village Road Dear Mr. Blumel: It was a pleasure meeting with you to discuss the subject matter on November 25, 1996. As you know, on November 12, 1996, the City Council approved the temporary parking along Orchard Village Road only if a parking shortage is identified by staff during field visits. However, the City Council recommends that customer parking be accommodated within the Frosty Forest lot for future years. We encourage you to tuUy utiLize the existing on-site parking lot an expand the parking lot as it becomes necessary. The City may allow. temporary parking on Orchard Village Road if the above efforts have been exhausted and a parking shortage still occurs based on staffs observations. Staff is planning to monitor the on-site parking demand during the Christmas season on weekdays and weekends, and make the appropriate adjustments to the existing signs as needed. Staff also recommends that the an all-weather access widened to a minimum of 26 feet and your Should you have any questions or need assistance to reorganize your on-site parking arrangements, please call me at (805) 286-4057. Sincerely, Rabie J. Rahmani, P.E Acting City Traffic Engineer RJR:lkl r .fflclbl.el_ rjr cc: George A. Caravalho, City Manager Anthony J. Nisich, Director of Building & Engineering Services �cG— ✓v„/ta _ ® EXHHBIT 440P PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 930' RESOLUTION NO. 97-135 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA ALLOWING TEMPORARY PARKING ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF ORCHARD VILLAGE ROAD SOUTH OF AVENIDA RONADA WHEREAS, a request was made to establish temporary parking along the west side of Orchard Village Road, south of Avenida Ronada, from December 6, 1997 to December 24,1997; WHEREAS, it is consistent with normal traffic engineering practices to establish parking or no -parking zones; and WHEREAS, Section 22507 of the Vehicle Code of the State of California provides for local authorities to prohibit stopping or standing of vehicles on certain streets, or highways, or portions thereof, during all or certain hours of the day. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. That the parking of vehicles on the following streets or highways, or portions thereof, shall be allowed on Orchard Village Road, from approximately 200 feet south of Avenida Ronada to 1,400 feet south, except a portion of 200 feet of the intersection of Orchard Village Road and Dalby Drive. Section 2. That the parking of vehicles, as provided herein, shall apply when appropriate curb markings or signs giving adequate notice thereof have been placed as described in Section 1. Section 3. That staff shall remove and reinstall or cover the necessary curb markings or signs to effect this Resolution. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this day of ,19_. MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK RESOLUTION NO. 97-135 November 4, 1997 - Page 2 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) § CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) I, Sharon L. Dawson, CMC, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita at a regular meeting thereof, held on the day of 19_ by the following vote of Council: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: CITY CLERK RJRJkI coon©1Nn97-135.rjr