More downtown parking study called for

Seeing might be believing, but it’s collecting data that’s confirming.

That’s the approach longtime resident and former planning commissioner Linda Talman is recommending officials take regarding remedies to La Conner’s downtown parking.

A week after Town officials heard a presentation on mobile paid parking systems, Talman suggested to the planning commissioners that more information should be gathered before committing to a new First Street parking scheme.

“We don’t have the data that we need,” Talman said at the planning commission’s Dec. 5 hybrid meeting. “We make a lot of assumptions about what is happening in town.

“What,” she asked, “is the problem that we’re trying to solve?”

Talman noted that while shopping recently at a downtown store she was told that neither the owner nor employees there park on First Street. Ever.

For years, a common complaint has been that those who work downtown tie up much of the street’s parking.

“We have a lot of opinions about parking,” said Talman, “but what is the actual situation? I don’t have the answer, but I know you have to collect the information.”

Planning Director Michael Davolio earlier this year conducted a First Street parking study. He found there are more parking spaces downtown than required by code, but not always enough to meet peak demand.

“I was on First Street earlier today,” he said, “and here, on a day in December, it was difficult to find a parking space.”

Davolio stressed that the paid parking presentation last month by the PayByPhone firm was strictly informational.

“The purpose of the presentation,” he said, “was to give the town council and planning commission information going forward. Paid parking on First Street is just one option that’s on the table and no decisions have been made. What we have is a range of options for solutions that we can consider.”

Davolio and Assistant Town Planner Ajah Eills placed value in the information gathering process.

“I agree,” said Eills, “that having more data is usually better.”

Resident Kathy Shiner pointed out that neither Langley nor Coupeville, each similar in size to La Conner, have metered parking and wondered if posting signage limiting the amount of time vehicles can park on First Street might be effective. She noted that diagonally parked vehicles – yet another proposed First Street option – can encroach over sidewalk space.

“Diagonal parking is very ugly,” said Shiner, “and would interrupt views in the historic zone.”

Eills said that a one-way traffic flow would provide more First Street parking spaces and agreed with Shiner that “some kind of barrier” would be needed to prevent diagonally parked vehicles from extending over sidewalks.

Davolio said he has asked La Conner Chamber of Commerce Director Mark Hulst for business community input regarding street parking and traffic flow preferences.

“I’m confident,” said Davolio,” that we can come to a solution – though it probably won’t please everybody – that will resolve problems as best we can.”

Non-motorized transportation and employing golf carts or jitneys as downtown shuttles was also discussed.

The commission moved unanimously to strike down a proposed code change that would have allowed short-term rentals –permitted in the commercial zone – to be included on a limited basis within Planned Urban Residential Developments part of its 95-minute session and in response to public input and questions from member Sommer Holt,.

That change would have approved short-term rentals in PURDs so long as they were no more than 10 per cent of the development and located within 50 feet of a commercial zone.

That change would have freed developer Greg Ellis to include a line of short-term rentals on the north side of his planned tiny house village at Whatcom and Washington streets.

Davolio said he doubted the commission action would hinder Ellis from going ahead with the project, which calls for construction of 44 tiny residential units.

Fielding a question from the audience at the meeting’s end, Davolio said outgoing Mayor Ramon Hayes and new mayor Marna Hanneman would together review applications to fill the commission vacancy created by Hanneman’s election as mayor last month.

There are three applicants seeking appointment he said.

For the December 19 (6 p.m.) at Maple Hall. Davolio said the public is encouraged to attend either in-person or by Zoom.

“The broader the public input,” stressed Davolio, “the better.”