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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC2001-008 14 Pages Letter To Anne Guthrie From Jim Lawson With LRDOPADCity of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development t=k 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501)371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Ms. Anne Guthrie Dept of Housing & Neighborhood Program 500 W. Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Ms. Guthrie: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director Parking spaces were counted if the lot fell partially within the radius area. In the 600' radius area, there were 1166 parking spaces. The required number for the uses in the area is 1117. Some uses are over the requirements for parking and some under the requirements. The businesses in the area and the gated residential (Quapaw Tower) provide for their parking with some overage. However, these are private lots. For example: the post office is required to have 85 parking spaces but provides 181, while the multi -family is required to have 562 and only provides 223. There is no public access to any of these lots; all are private lots. The parking that serves as the overflow for this area is the on -street parking. There are 180 twenty-four hour parking spaces in the area based on an 11 per 300' block model. There are 37 two-hour parking spaces. If all overflow multi -family residents parked on the street in 24-hour spaces, there would be a shortage of 159 spaces. If they also parked in the two-hour spaces, there would still be a shortage of 122 spaces. In the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, there are 117 provided parking spaces where 97 are required. The 57 on -street spaces are the only spaces where public access is permitted. Again, the multi -family parking needs exceed the off-street parking spaces by a margin of 78 to 23 spaces (a shortage of 55 spaces). There are 57 on -street parking spaces bordering this area, which would leave a two space buffer. With 29 residential units and 3 businesses in this two -block area, any two visitors to the area would deplete the parking surplus in short order. In summary, the downtown area as a whole is short 900 parking spaces. The 600' radius area is short 130 spaces while the smaller two -block area has, for all practical purposes, no additional parking. If the Visitor Center is to have parking, it will be required to build additional parking for its own use; there is not a surplus of parking in the area from which to draw. Advertising the Center The City of Little Rock has received permission from the State Highway Department to place signs along the Interstates leading into Little Rock. The signs will identify the exit of the Information Center as #140/140B. Tizis exit is the 6th Street/6th &9th Street exit. Please find attached a sketch that shows the route a visitor would take to reach the center. It is important to note that by taking this route, the back (61h Street) of the center will serve as the front. There is no direct Interstate access to the front (Capitol avenue) of the building: Naturally, you can get to the front by making several turns (if you know where you are going). Little Rock citizens will likely know how to get to the center by Capitol Avenue, and might use the Post Office parking at night for special events. Please find attached a memorandum from Barry Travis in which he discusses the anticipated parking demands for the center. In his memo, he notes that the 50,000 is a low estimate for the anticipated travel demand created by the downtown and River Market District. Impact on the Sorroundin Propert The property which is being proposed for the Curran Hall parking lot is currently undeveloped. The property is owned by the City of Little Rock. There is no proposal to construct a single family house on the property. At this time it will be used for a parking lot or it will be left in its present state. Presently the City tries to keep it clean of trash and cut the grass. Since it is an undeveloped parcel, it is more difficult to have daily contact with the lot. Occasionally, unauthorized cars are parked on the grass surface. If the property were made into a parking lot, it would be properly landscaped and maintained. The property would be monitored because of its constant use. The Information center will be open 7 days per week for about 10 hours per day. The parking lot would also benefit the surrounding neighborhood for occasional residential use. Some of the residents in the area do not have off-street parking. The residents or their guests could use the spaces if they were not being used by visitors to the center. In summary, the City feels that the proposed planning lot is vital to the success of the information center. We also feel that the parking lot will be a benefit to the neighborhood. It will be a beautiful landscaped lot that will be monitored and maintained. Without the lot we are concerned that the approved center will create a parking problem for the neighborhood. Thank you for your consideration of our application. Sinceret , Ji La so irector of Planning and Development cc: Steve Beck Barry Travis Attachments City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Mr. John Greer 116 Linwood Court Little Rock, AR 72205 Dear Mr. Greer: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7 h, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development t;wlk 1 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Mr. Howard H. Gordon First Presbyterian Church 800 Scott Street Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Mr. Gordon: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7'h, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director EkCity of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Ms. Jean Ann Phillips 609 Rock Street Little Rock, AR 72202 Dear Ms. Phillips: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 71h, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director EkCity of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West 1Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Mr. Wyatt D. Weems 1402 Commerce Little Rock, AR 72202 Dear Mr. Weems: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 Eik(501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Mr. Mark Zoeller 500 E. 9th Street Little Rock, AR 72202 Dear Mr. Zoeller: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that, there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. ParkiLig Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West Markham ; Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Ms. Anne Guthrie Dept of Housing & Neighborhood Program 500 W. Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Ms. Guthrie: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parkin Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development s 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Ms. Debra Weldon City Attorney's Office 500 W. Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Ms. Weldon: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West Markham Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501)371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Mr. Steve Beck Public Works 701 W. Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Mr. Beck: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Tntrodu cti on Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parkiqg Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7t', Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Parking requirements were calculated for the buildings in the area, which are based on square footage of commercial and office uses and number of residential units. Jim Lawson Director City of Little Rock Department of Planning and Development 723 West Markham E? "Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 (501) 371-4790 FAX (501) 371-6863 July 2, 2001 Mr. Barry Travis Advertising & Promotion Commission Robinson Center 426 W. Markham, #7 State House Plaza Little Rock, AR 72201 Dear Mr. Travis: As the Commission has requested, the staff has done further study on the Curran Hall visitors' parking lot. I hope that the additional information will be helpful in making your decision. Introduction Please find attached a report from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau which gives a good overview of the Curran Hall Information Center. Since the primary purpose of the center is to serve visitors passing through Little Rock, quick and easy access to the center is vital. If a visitor cannot easily find the center and immediate parking, they will likely get back on the Interstate and continue with their trip. Some of the visitors will be in large recreational vehicles, which are difficult to park. Parking Needs for Downtown A recent study done by The Consulting Engineers Group Inc. (CEG) stated that there is a 900 parking space shortage in the downtown core. (See attached study area map.) It further stated that parking is a vital issue in the stability and rebirth of a downtown area. Parking Needs for the Immediate Area A parking survey was completed in mid -June 2001 for an area of a 600' radius from the site. All parking spaces were counted including post office spaces, business/office, hotel, single family, gated residential, multi -family, and on -street parking (both 24 and 2 hour parking). Some of these parking areas are private parking lots that are for customer use only, for residents use only, or are gated. Numbers of parking spaces are listed for the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, the blocks on which the Curran Hall and the proposed parking lot lie. Jim Lawson Director Parking spaces were counted if the lot fell partially within the radius area. In the 600' radius area, there were 1166 parking spaces. The required number for the uses in the area is 1117. Some uses are over the requirements for parking and some under the requirements. The businesses in the area and the gated residential (Quapaw Tower) provide for their parking with some overage. However, these are private lots. For example: the post office is required to have 85 parking spaces but provides 181, while the multi -family is required to have 562 and only provides 223. There is no public access to any of these lots; all are private lots. The parking that serves as the overflow for this area is the on -street parking. There are 180 twenty-four hour parking spaces in the area based on an 11 per 300' block model. There are 37 two-hour parking spaces. If all overflow multi -family residents parked on the street in 24-hour spaces, there would be a shortage of 159 spaces. If they also parked in the two-hour spaces, there would still be a shortage of 122 spaces. In the two -block area bounded by 7th, Sherman, Capitol, and Ferry Streets, there are 117 provided parking spaces where 97 are required. The 57 on -street spaces are the only spaces where public access is permitted. Again, the multi -family parking needs exceed the off-street parking spaces by a margin of 78 to 23 spaces (a shortage of 55 spaces). There are 57 on -street parking spaces bordering this area, which would leave a two space buffer. With 29 residential units and 3 businesses in this two -block area, any two visitors to the area would deplete the parking surplus in short order. In summary, the downtown area as a whole is short 900 parking spaces. The 600' radius area is short 130 spaces while the smaller two -block area has, for all practical purposes, no additional parking. If the Visitor Center is to have parking, it will be required to build additional parking for its own use; there is not a surplus of parking in the area from which to draw. Advertising the Center The City of Little Rock has received permission from the State Highway Department to place signs along the Interstates leading into Little Rock. The signs will identify the exit of the Information Center as #140/140B. This exit is the 6th Street/6th &gth Street exit. Please find attached a sketch that shows the route a visitor would take to reach the center. It is important to note that by taking this route, the back (6th Street) of the center will serve as the front. There is no direct Interstate access to the front (Capitol avenue) of the building. Naturally, you can get to the front by making several turns (if you know where you are going). Little Rock citizens will likely know how to get to the center by Capitol Avenue, and might use the Post Office parking at night for special events. Please find attached a memorandum from Barry Travis in which he discusses the anticipated parking demands for the center. In his memo, he notes that the 50,000 is a low estimate for the anticipated travel demand created by the downtown and River Market District. Imnact on the Surrounding Prone The property which is being proposed for the Curran Hall parking lot is currently undeveloped. The property is owned by the City of Little Rock. There is no proposal to construct a single family house on the property. At this time it will be used for a parking lot or it will be left in its present state. Presently the City tries to keep it clean of trash and cut the grass. Since it is an undeveloped parcel, it is more difficult to have daily contact with the lot. Occasionally, unauthorized cars are parked on the grass surface. If the property were made into a parking lot, it would be properly landscaped and maintained. The property would be monitored because of its constant use. The Information center will be open 7 days per week for about 10 hours per day. The parking lot would also benefit the surrounding neighborhood for occasional residential use. Some of the residents in the area do not have off-street parking. The residents or their guests could use the spaces if they were not being used by visitors to the center. In summary, the City feels that the proposed planning lot is vital to the success of the information center. We also feel that the parking lot will be a benefit to the neighborhood. It will be a beautiful landscaped lot that will be monitored and maintained. Without the lot we are concerned that the approved center will create a parking problem for the neighborhood. Thank you for your consideration of our application. Sincercl j La so irector of Planning and Development cc: Steve Beck Barry Travis Attachments