HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-24-22 On-Street Parking Commons DriveAdministrative Order -- Page 1 of 6
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 58-24-22
of the
Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team
of the City of Eugene
CONCERNING ON-STREET PARKING ON COMMONS DRIVE
The Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team of the
City of Eugene finds that:
A. Under the provisions of Chapter IV, Section 16 of the Eugene Charter of 2002, the
City Manager is designated as the administrative head of the City and is specifically authorized to
enforce all ordinances of the City. In addition, EC 5.040 authorizes the City Manager or the
Manager’s designee to “establish, maintain, remove, or alter . . . parking areas and time limitations,
including the form of permissible parking” and to “impose conditions upon which the streets and
other public property may be used for parking.” EC 5.055 sets forth the criteria the City Manager
or the City Manager’s designee should consider when taking administrative action authorized by
EC 5.040.
B. On August 5, 2020, the City Manager issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-17
granting the Executive Director of the Public Works Department the authority to exercise all of
the duties and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City Manager in Sections 5.040,
5.045 and 5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971. That Order also granted the Executive Director of the
Public Works Department the authority to further delegate those duties and responsibilities to such
person or persons qualified to perform the delegated duties.
C. On August 6, 2020, the Executive Director of the Public Works Department issued
Administrative Order No. 58-20-18 granting the City Engineer the authority to perform the duties
and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City Manager in Sections 5.040, 5.045 and
5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971. That Order also granted the City Engineer the authority to further
delegate those duties and responsibilities to such person or persons qualified to perform the
delegated duties.
D. On August 11, 2020, the City Engineer issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-19
granting the Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team the
authority to perform the duties and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City
Manager in Sections 5.040, 5.045 and 5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971.
E. For purposes of public health, safety, and welfare, it is necessary to remove and
modify parking on a portion of Commons Drive.
F. In making the decision, I have considered all the applicable criteria set forth in EC
5.055. The following findings support my decision to limit parking in this area to 2-hour time-
limited parking between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. daily.
Administrative Order -- Page 2 of 6
(a) Traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations.
i. Classification - Commons Drive between S Garden Way and Kinsrow Avenue as shown
in Exhibit A is classified as a Major Collector street with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
The street segment is approximately 28 feet wide with parking one side of the street in
some places, allowing approximately 21 feet of roadway for two-way travel in a mixed
residential and commercial area. No parking is permitted on the entire north and southwest
sides of the street segment. Sidewalks are present on both sides of the street. There are no
bike lanes.
ii. Vehicle Crashes - There were two motor vehicle crashes reported between 2007 and 2021
on the portion of Commons Drive between S Garden Way and Kinsrow Avenue (one with
possible injury and one with property damage only).
(b) Standards, limitations, and rules promulgated by the Oregon Transportation Commission or
the Oregon Public Utility Commission or their successors.
There are no such standards, limitations or rules that apply.
(c) Other recognized traffic control standards.
The City will apply the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for size, type and
location for sign installation.
(d) The city’s adopted transportation-related plans and policies.
The City’s 2035 Transportation System Plan does not include any policies that specifically
relate to the provision or removal of on-street parking in residential areas. Roadway and
Parking Policy No. 1 a “Complete Streets Policy,” is to “Design, construct, maintain, and
operate all streets to provide comprehensive and integrated transportation networks that
serve people of all ages and abilities, promote commerce, and support the comprehensive
land use plan’s vision for growth and development in a responsible and efficient manner.
A “complete street” allows safe travel for automobiles and emergency responders, bicycles,
walking, transit, and freight. In addition to fulfilling a street’s basic transportation functions
and providing access to properties, streets and sidewalks should be designed to be
attractive, safe, accessible, sustainable, and healthy components of the City's
environment.” Limiting parking to only the parking needed to ensure a traffic network that
allows safe travel for automobiles and emergency responders, bicycles, walking, transit,
and freight is consistent with this policy.
(e) Existing state and local laws regulating use of public ways.
The use of the City’s public ways for parking is regulated at the local level. EC
5.040(1)(h)(5) and EC 5.040(1)(p) establish authority to manage parking.
Administrative Order -- Page 3 of 6
(f) The efficient use of the public way by the public.
Removal and modification of parking allowances on Commons Drive is needed for more
efficient use of the roadway by ensuring adequate turnover of parked vehicles to support
access to the public park.
(g) The use of abutting property.
The abutting land use is residential, public land containing Chase Commons Park, and
some commercial areas.
(h) The intensity of use of the street by vehicles and pedestrians.
i. By Ordinance No. 20181, the City Council adopted the Street Classification Map that
designated Commons Drive as a neighborhood collector. By Resolution 4608, the City
Council adopted the Design Standards and Guidelines for Eugene Streets, Sidewalks,
Bikeways and Access Ways. Parking is an optional feature on streets.
ii. There are sidewalks on both sides of the street segment. This order will not impact, and
may improve, accessibility of use by pedestrians.
(i) The physical condition and characteristics of the street and abutting property.
i. The portion of Commons Drive between S Garden Way and Kinsrow Avenue as shown in
Exhibit A is classified as a Major Collector street with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
The street segment is approximately 28 feet wide with parking one side of the street in
some places, allowing approximately 21 feet of roadway for two-way travel in a mixed
residential and commercial area. No parking is permitted on the entire north and southwest
sides of the street segment. Sidewalks are present on both sides of the street. There are no
bike lanes.
ii. The abutting properties on the northern side of the street segment include an undeveloped
lot, a single-story memory care facility, and a large three-story multi-family housing
development containing several buildings. Both the memory care facility and the multi-
family housing development have asphalt surface parking lots. The southwest side of the
street segment includes two multi-family housing developments with three-story buildings
and a creek connecting with the Willamette River. The south side of the street segment
includes public land, Chase Commons Park, a creek connecting with the Willamette River,
two-story and three-story multi-family housing developments, and a small commercial
area, each with asphalt surface parking lots.
(j) Emergencies.
i. Emergency service vehicles are accommodated through bi-directional travel on Commons
Drive. Removal and modification of parking will provide additional room for travel and
deployment of emergency vehicles.
ii. Commons Drive is not designated as an emergency ice or snow removal route.
Administrative Order -- Page 4 of 6
(k) The public health, safety and welfare.
Extended on-street parking taking place in this area has resulted in insufficient access to
the public lands at Chase Commons Park.
(l) Special events of community interest including parades and public gatherings.
There are no special events of community interest that occur on the portion of Commons
Drive as shown in Exhibit A.
(m) Construction within or adjacent to the street.
No construction is currently taking place on the portion of Commons Drive as shown in
Exhibit A. The order will not impede, and may improve, access for the purpose of
construction.
(n) When establishing conditions upon the use of parking in the public way and city-owned
parking facilities:
(1) Applicable and appropriate time limits;
EC 5.135(1) prohibits the storage of a motor vehicle or personal property on the street
for more than 72 hours. There are no additional time limits proposed for this area where
parking is to be allowed (except as described at the end of this order and noted in
Exhibit A).
EC 5.040 authorizes the City Manager or the Manager's designee to take administrative
action establishing parking area time limitations, including the form of permissible
parking, and imposing conditions upon which the streets and other public property may
be used for parking. Notwithstanding any other administrative action to the contrary,
the portions of the streets described below and depicted on the map attached as Exhibit
A to this Order shall allow 2-hour public parking between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
daily.
(2) The vehicle type and purpose;
Parking to access the public park supports the intended land use.
(3) The relative, seasonal and special event demands for parking spaces within the areas of
the requested parking;
This Order is not a response to a request for new / additional parking spaces.
(4) The other public uses for the property;
The area is zoned Special Area, Limited High-Density Residential, High-Density
Residential, and Agricultural; the public parking areas are intended to serve those uses.
Administrative Order -- Page 5 of 6
(5) The location and physical characteristics of the parking area or facility;
Existing parking includes seven asphalt surface lots belonging to adjacent businesses
and multi-family housing developments, and on-street parking on both sides of the
street.
(6) The demand for operating revenues, the costs of operations and enforcement;
i. Removal and modification of parking is not anticipated to significantly impact
operating revenues.
ii. If resources are not available for enforcement, then the parking restrictions may be
revisited.
(7) The use of parking regulations to promote city adopted goals and policies;
Removal and modification of parking is consistent with City-adopted goals and
policies.
(8) Abuse by applicants of any parking-related permits;
Not applicable.
(9) The impact on nearby commercial uses;
Removal and modification of parking supports the nearby commercial uses by ensuring
the parking and adjacent travel lanes are available, as needed, to support the
commercial uses.
(10) The ease of enforcing the provisions of this chapter; and
i. If resources are not available for enforcement, then the parking restrictions may be
revisited.
(11) The availability of other parking spaces.
i. Parking is available on adjacent private property.
ii. Time-limited parking will create vehicle turnover on the street.
On the basis of these findings, I order that: Parking on Commons Drive between S
Garden Way and Kinsrow Avenue shown in Exhibit A to this Order shall be restricted to 2-hour
public parking only in the green areas of Commons Drive shown on the attached Exhibit A to this
Order. This is more specifically described as follows:
a. Only two-hour parking between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. daily shall be
permitted on the portion of Commons Drive adjacent to Chase Commons Park beginning
at approximately 100 feet west of S Garden Avenue and continuing west for approximately
80 feet; resuming approximately 243 feet west of S Garden Avenue and continuing west
for approximately 60 feet; resuming at approximately 367 feet west of S Garden Avenue
and continuing west to approximately 586 feet west of W Garden Avenue; resuming at
approximately 615 feet west of W Garden Avenue and continuing west to the end of the
park approximately 835 feet west of Garden Avenue.
b. No parking is permitted on the north side of Commons Drive from the intersection with
Garden Avenue and continuing on the west side of Commons Drive to the intersection with