Parking committee begins review of consultant’s report
Suggested fee changes will be discussed at later meeting
The Asbury Park Parking Committee met Wednesday night for the first time since the release of a controversial study by the city’s parking consultant.
The committee is charged with analyzing the study released last week by Desman Associates and recommending action to be taken by the City Council. The committee began by discussing methods of increasing parking before the summer season begins.
The committee will discuss the report’s suggestions to adjust parking fees at a later meeting. One suggestion in the Desman report — to increase residential permits from $50 per year to $100 a month — has triggered vocal public opposition.
As for accommodating the increased demand for summer parking, immediate solutions discussed by the committee include transforming the municipal and transportation lots into metered parking spaces, increasing their use of the state-owned Bangs Avenue parking garage and garnering use of the state’s Mattison Avenue lot.
Currently the city leases space at the Bangs Avenue garage [at right], which it uses to offer free public parking from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Residential developer iStar Financial will look to open three private parking lots along the waterfront, its Senior Vice President of Land and Development Brian Cheripka said.
The first will be transforming the old ‘stump lot’ at Cookman and Lake Avenues into a 91 space metered parking lot that could be used on weekends for valet parking of up to 130 vehicles.
The other two lots, located at Kingsley and 7th Avenue and behind the Empress Hotel, will add at least 200 more parking spaces, Cheripka said.
The parking lots will be professionally managed by a third party operator, Cheripka said.
Parking Committee members said they will look at Desman Associates recommendation to adjust metered parking rates based on parking demands. One example from the report proposes a 2- or 3-hour time limit during business hours along Cookman Avenue.
“We have to somehow come to the right balance of on street parking for commercial use at the same time provide for residential [parking],” Councilman Joe Woerner said. “When people drive to town we want them to find a parking spot, that’s our bottom line. We don’t want them to leave town because they can’t find a spot and charging for parking at the right price allows that to happen. It’s not even about revenue, it’s about managing you parking resources.”
Another area of consideration from the report will be getting a handle of permit parking. The report found that multiple permits were being issued for a residence as well as to residents who have off-street parking availability. How to get a handle on the number of permits and pricing will be determined after further analysis of the current program, committee members said. Currently the city offers employee and residential permits.
No final decisions were made Wednesday night but parking committee members said a formal recommendation could be made to the City Council before month’s end.
“We will continue to have discussions and meet with our professionals before presenting to the city council,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said.
————————————————-
Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
