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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - 75AAugust 4, 2015 City Council Meeting Correspondence for Item 75A Downtown Enhancements and Parking Modernization plan 1 Nancy Mejia, Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy Programs, Latino Health Access 2 Sandra Pena Sarmiento IMgendasL6hibits_Correspondence 5.doc Mitre -Ramirez, Norma From: Huizar, Maria Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 1:39 PM To: Mitre -Ramirez, Norma; Rossini, Laura; Sandoval, Jose; Carvalho, Sonia R. Cc: Trujillo, Rose Ann; Orozco, Norma; Gerardo, Abigail; Alcala, Abigail; Gray, Jacob; Gutierrez, Francisco; Rodriguez, Arturo Subject: FW: Input on the Downtown Enhancements and Parking Modernization Plan - AGENDA ITEM 75A Attachments: Parking PlanRec_LHA_8.4.15.pdf Norma, please enter into the record. From: Nancy Mejia [mailto:nmejia@latinohealthaccess.org] Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 1:11 PM To: Pulido, Miguel; Sarmiento, Vince; Benavides, David; Tinajero, Sal; Amezcua, Angelica; Reyna, Roman; Martinez, Michele Cc: Huizar, Maria; Morley, Marc; Cavazos, David; Adela Montanez; America Bracho Subject: Input on the Downtown Enhancements and Parking Modernization Plan Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, On behalf of Latino Health Access, please refer to attached letter with our input regarding Council meeting Agenda Item 75A. We strongly feel this plan is an opportunity to bridge priorities between different sectors in the downtown and to continue to work toward an equitable and balanced development where businesses and community residents can thrive. We assert several concerns and recommendations to accomplish this as you consider adoption of this plan. Sincerely, Nancy Nancy Mejia, MPH, MSW Director of Community Engagment and Advocacy Programs Latino Health Access 450 W 4th St, Suite 130 Santa Ana, CA 92701 P: 714-542-7792 ext 1021 F: 714-542-4853 nmejia0latinohealthaccess org 450 West Fourth Street Suite 130 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Ph: 714-542-7792 Fax: 714-542.4853 la ti noheal Ihoccess.or0 August 3, 2015 Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Box 1988, M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Downtown Enhancements and Parking Modernization Plan Dear Mayor and Councilmembers: It has come to our attention that a Downtown Enhancements and Parking Modernization Plan and Governing Parking Ordinance and Resolution are up for adoption at the City Council meeting on August 4, 2015 (agenda item 75A). Elements of this plan coincide with several initiatives Latino Health Access has supported and advocated for in the downtown for the last four years, including the establishment of a Wellness Corridor and the designation of the Downtown Business District as a Wellness District. In both of these initiatives we have maintained open communication with City Council and staff, exploring policies and strategies to implement that promote health, wellness, and equitable development in downtown Santa Ana. It is for this reason that we consider ourselves and our partners in these efforts important stakeholders of downtown development strategies, and it is why we consider it a responsibility to provide input and feedback on the Downtown Enhancements and Parking Modernization Plan being proposed by City Manager Cavazos, especially since we were not consulted for input. We have reviewed the staff report made available, and while we are not against this administration seeking pro -active and sustainable solutions to funding downtown enhancements, we have a series of questions and concerns which we urge you to consider and address before approval of the plan. Our primary concerns are about how money generated from this parking modernization plan will be utilized, and we want to ensure it clearly aligns and funds strategies reflective of the shared commitments we and the City have made to promote health, wellness, and equitable development in Santa Ana through the HEAL Resolution, Strategic Plan, and Wellness District Resolution. Our general recommendations to improve the plan are the following: • improved coordination with community -led initiatives by refining proposed expenses for revenue generated: This plan is a great opportunity to align diverse interest from multiple sectors to achieve health, wellness, and equitable outcomes in the development of downtown. As it stands, the plan appears to favor the interests of the business sector, and incentivizes a narrow type of development not clearly aligned with a health and wellness vision. Non -business community stakeholders were not consulted, and thus we recommend changes/additions in how funding generated will be utilized: o Funding of infrastructure projects aligned with the Downtown Complete Streets Plan to improve connectivity between adjacent neighborhoods and business district for pedestrians and cyclists, such as walkability and crossing enhancements along First St and the Maple bike trail enhancements. This should be prioritized in years 1 and 2 in place of the bike share prograrn. o Prioritize purchase and installation of amenities outlined in the Wellness Corridor strategic plan: wayfinding and permanent signage to mark routes in the Wellness Corridor, public restrooms, and drinking fountains o Create an expense line with 2-5% of funding generated from parking modernization plan to fund grants for programming organized by non-profit community-based organizations that promote health, wellness, and culture. PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION In adjustments to the parking ordinance, remove usage and permit fees associated with health, wellness, and culture -promoting events held in private parking lots throughout the downtown. Expand business incentives ("sidewalk caf6/outdoor dining grants") allocation to encourage small businesses that sell wellness good and services as outlined in The Next Practice Market Analysis study and align with Wellness District Resolution. Safety and sanitation strategies must extend beyond the business district borders into adjacent neighborhoods to ensure a "good neighbor" rapport as the downtown continues to develop. Residents from Lacy and Logan complain about trash, noise, and unlawful behavior in their neighborhoods from downtown business district overflow. Safety strategies should not be limited to policing and cameras, but rather should include enhanced lighting in key streets where neighborhoods and businesses connect. Improve transparency and accountability assurances by requiring a public accountability plan: Certain elements of the plan are ambiguous in rationale and scope and there is no accountability plan to ensure progress is being tracked. It is also unclear how much money will be allocated from the general fund to fully implement this plan. This is important because in the last few years we have witnessed a lack of transparency in how funding is allocated and used for downtown improvements, as well as a lack of action in using funding already available and poor coordination between different city departments to execute projects. This contributes to ongoing distrust in city officials and city processes. Ensure fiscal responsibility by streamlining strategies and funding allocation across several city plans regarding the downtown: There is revenue generated through the new plan that is being proposed for use in ways already referenced and budgeted in other agreements, ordinances, and guidelines, such as city sponsorship of events, cleanliness and safety strategies. This gives the impression of poor coordination across city departments, unnecessary allocation of funds going to the downtown, and mismanagement of funds that can go toward other community priorities in other areas of the city. It is necessary to review these and make the adjustments necessary so that funding is not being duplicated and used wastefully. In addition to these general recommendations, please note questions and recommendations on specific components of the expense plan, listed below: Downtown Enhancements: Safety Questions: 1. We are concerned about excess of funding in certain strategies. How does this overlap with the Clean and Safety Plan currently in place, managed by Downtown, Inc.? 2. Will additional funding be required from the general fund to cover safety enhancements? 3. What specifically will be the role of additional police officers in the downtown? PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION 4. How are businesses contributing to safety in the downtown? Is it covered in the BID? Several stakeholders, including residents, businesses, organizations have complained about safety issues in the downtown and overflow into adjacent neighborhoods in Lacy and Logan as a result of weekend nightlife and special events which are a direct result of privately -run businesses and sponsored events. Are there not ordinances or guidelines that already require them to cover the cost of additional policing? Recommendation: 1. To achieve equitable development, no additional funding from the general fund should go towards covering safety of the downtown if it will reduce the amount available for policing in high -crime neighborhoods. Before allocating more funding for increased policing, other strategies should be considered, such as increased lighting in problem areas and ensuring that existing laws are being enforced (i.e., Alcohol and Entertainment Ordinance) to set standards for businesses and events to prevent conditions that give way to unruly and reckless behaviors by patrons. 2. If a police substation is built and additional police officers hired, the boundaries of the patrol area should include adjacent neighborhoods to ensure downtown visitors are acting respectfully and lawfully in adjacent residential areas not limited to parking structures and metered parking streets. 3. Police officers hired should be on foot or bike to promote community -oriented policing strategies. 4. Lighting enhancements should be added as a safety strategy in key streets/areas where the business district and residential neighborhoods intersect. Downtown Enhancements: Sanitation and Maintenance Questions: 1. What funds are currently being used for cleanliness in the Downtown? Does the Plan include daily cleaning or event cleaning? How does this overlap with Downtown Inc.'s Clean & Safety Program budget? 2. There is reference to the construction of public restrooms. Where will the public restrooms be installed? How many? Recommendation: 1. The plan for cleanliness must also include neighborhoods. Residents from Lacy and Logan have noted dirty streets after weekend or large events from overflow of crowds into neighborhoods. Downtown Enhancements: Beautification. Marketing and Other Amenities Questions: 1. What kind of branding/marketing will be done? How will multiple stakeholders be engaged? Will the City hire someone to do this? 2. There is more money needed o fix parking structures than is in the revenue projected to be generated. What funds will the remaining expenses be covered with? 3. Several budget items under "beautification" overlap with PICH grant items, including landscaping, tree pit grilles, sidewalk repairs, and lighting. How will the City ensure that the two budgets and items do not duplicate? 4. How will the City decide what events to sponsor? 5. There are not enough funds allocated to coverall expenses for year 1 of the plan. Where will the remaining funds come from? PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION Recommendations: 1. Better lighting and cameras should also be added in key corners/alleys connected to neighborhoods where people park, not just restricted to parking structures. 2. Adjustments to allow parking 8am-4am should be limited to business -front streets and not residential neighborhoods to lessen the burden of downtown development on adjacent neighborhoods. 3. The creation of an identity brand must be done with the community. The economic study conducted by The Next Practice, "A Study of Demand and Supply for Wellness Goods and Services in Downtown Santa Ana, California" revealed the need for a unified identity. It is our expectation that the brand be collectively developed. 4. Criteria should be developed to guide city -sponsorship of events so that there are clear ways in how the City decides which year-round events will be promoted. S. Some of the items in the plan are covered by BID funding (especially marketing). With this plan, the City will be further subsidizing businesses . 6. In the process of adoption for the Wellness District Resolution, we were told that businesses could not be incentivized to form a Wellness District. However, the Parking Modernization Plan does this through grants for sidewalk cafe/outdoor dining. These should be costs covered by a business, and funds should instead be used for incentivizing businesses that promote health and wellness and sponsorship of events that meet a certain criteria. We recommend that 5% of funding generated through this plan go toward community -led and organized events that promote health, wellness, and culture. In summary, if the Downtown Enhancements and Downtown Modernization Plan is approved by the Council, we expect that it will be implemented with transparency and involvement of all stakeholders impacted, including community residents. I appreciate your attention to this important matter. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. I can be reached at 714-542-7792 ext. 1021. Sincerely, � jr Nancy Mejia, MSW,H Director, Communit gagement & Advocacy PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION Mitre -Ramirez, Norma From: Huizar, Maria Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 3:01 PM Cc: Cavazos, David Subject: 2015 Parking Plan Feedback for tonite's Council Meeting (AGENDA ITEM 75A) Attachments: 2015 Parking Plan Feedback Importance: High Mayor and City Council, Below please find communication received for your consideration on Agenda Item 75A. -----Original Message ----- From: Sandra Pocha Pena [mailto:pocha@pocharte.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2015 2:01 PM To: Huizar, Maria Subject: 2015 Parking Plan Feedback for tonite's Council Meeting Importance: High Hi Maria, I am writing to submit some community comments (below & attached) for our City Manager, Mayor and Councilmembers who will vote on our City Parking Plan today. Would you please forward these comments to these individuals and also any city staffers that are involved in this area. I would also like to have them included in the public record for tonight's council meeting. Thankyou! -- SPS Sandra Pena Sarmiento "Frontier Arts & Hybrid Culture" 714.417.0073 *** Parking Plan Feedback below & attached ** SANTA ANA PARKING PLAN Community Feedback on the proposed Parking Plan Summary: It appears there are many problems with the current parking citation company, Central Parking. Tickets are being written while the parking meters still blink green, attendants are rude and represent Santa Ana poorly. After you all have invested in your first round of amenities, it would be ideal if an alternate revenue source for city amenities be identified. An increase in hotel or tourism taxes would be a more sustainable source of income since it can grow with future development and redesign of existing hotel stock. Urgent Issues of Concern -- Citations while meter is Green - Citations written while meter still blinking green are problematic. The parking offer have stated on camera that after the meter goes to zero, there is a period of time where the meter still blinks green before going red. This is usually known as a "grace period" so officers should not be writing citations during this time. Please ensure that your contracted parking agency is aware of this. -- Sunday Ticketing —Sundays should be free parking days city-wide. Recently, 19th Street located right by the Bowers Museum was made a permit only area, which has caused great trouble during a recent membership drive at their monthly family festival (first Sun of month). Nine families, who had all purchased membership packages of over $50 each were all cited on an otherwise empty street from noon to 4pm on a SUNDAY. Isn't street parking supposed to be free on Sunday? How can this practice work to build commercial growth in that area? It just chases people away and makes them avoid Santa Ana. -- Compassion for the Disabled - If a meter runs out of time while a wheelchair is being loaded into a vehicle, it is poor form to threaten that family with a citation. Sometimes things take longer to pack, disabled people may have trouble maneuvering or simply lack the manpower to lift machinery into a car efficiently. Please create some provision for this? -- Elder Consciousness - Be considerate of elders who may walk slower and take more time to enter and exit a vehicle. Parking officers should not be shadowing them, threatening to write them a ticket if they don't hurry up. Many of the Artists Village's most avid art collectors are senior citizens. -- Parking App - The parking app has some significant limitations; the meters don't seem to list app info; if someone puts in 2 hours worth of time and the app tells them that time has run out, how would they add more money if the max is two hours? Also, many Santa Ana residents don't use apps. General Considerations -- Disabled Loading Zones — Please consider expanding disabled and blue loading zone areas. Too often, especially at the Artists Village, the loading zones are taken up as artwork is being continuously loaded and unloaded. Disabled loading zone areas may help remedy the need for a safe and lawful drop off/pick up location. -- Citation Cut Off Times - Citations are sometimes written with only one minute left until free parking. For example, in the Artists Village the meters become free at 8pm. Folks have been written up for tickets at 7:59pm, even on weekdays when the entire street is empty. Part of this is due to the above-mentioned practice of writing tickets while the meter is still blinking green. It also doesn't make sense to force people into parking structures when there are many open spaces at the meters. Why pay 4x the amount needed in a parking structure when plentiful, safe and secure parking is right adjacent to local restaurants, galleries and venues? It doesn't cultivate a desire to come into or even to program events in DTSA. -- Permit Parking outside of the Downtown - Transforming daytime streets surrounding downtown into permit parking zones should be vetted and re -assessed. For example, certain streets in French Park were recently made permit only. There is no active neighborhood association for this area and most of the folks living there are renters. Street parking during the day has never been a problem as there is already midnight parking curfew, so visitors don't compete with locals for overnight parking. During the day the streets of French Park are largely empty but folks can't park there. Where were they supposed to park? The surrounding lots are government lots, not meant for use by the general public and there are no other options for parking. These changes don't make sense. -- Market Rate Parking - Downtown Tustin, Downtown Orange, Downtown Garden Grove, Downtown Irvine, Main Place Mall & South Coast Plaza are all free parking areas. It's understandable that areas around the Civic Center and Courthouse would have higher parking fees during business hours because Santa Ana is a center for county business. It doesn't make sense however to hike up parking in the West End, Artists Village, Calle Cuatro and East End because those areas of commerce are largely empty during the day. -- Alternate Sources of Revenue - Please consider identifying sources of revenue that hold the promise of long time revenue growth. There is a ceiling to how high you can go with raising parking violation revenues, because after a while you will chase away your client base. This is not a sustainable source of revenue. Other sources of income from Hotel Taxes and Tourism Taxes could probably stand to be raised much more over time, especially given the expected increase in hotel development and redesign of existing hotel stock. This concludes our feedback on the parking policies you have up for approval. I hope you all can make some meaningful adjustments that will continue to nurture sustainable growth throughout our beautiful city.