HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-25-10 -- On-Street Parking Unthank StreetAdministrative Order -- Page 1 of 6
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 58-25-10
of the
Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team
of the City of Eugene
CONCERNING ON-STREET PARKING ON UNTHANK STREET
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 Unthank Street.
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 two-hour time-
limited parking from 7:00 a.m. to11:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday, except legal holidays. The
two-hour parking signs will be clearly marked as tow-away zones if the time limit is exceeded.
Administrative Order -- Page 2 of 6
(a) Traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations.
i. Classification – The portion of Unthank Street between Throne Drive and North Danebo
Avenue as shown in Exhibit A is classified as a local street with a speed limit of 20 miles
per hour. The street segment is approximately 25 feet wide with alternating parking bays
on both sides of the street, allowing approximately 18 feet of roadway for two-way travel
in a mixed commercial and residential area. Sidewalks are present on both sides of the
street segment. There are no bike lanes.
ii. Vehicle Crashes - There were three motor vehicle crashes reported between 2007 and 2021
on the portion of Unthank Street between Throne Drive and North Danebo Avenue (two
with suspected moderate injuries, 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 or commercial 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 transportation
network that allows safe travel for automobiles and emergency responders, bicycles,
walking, and transit 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 Unthank Street is needed for more
efficient use of the roadway by ensuring parking turnover for adjacent park, residential,
and commercial uses.
(g) The use of abutting property.
The abutting land use is Medium-Density Residential and Community Commercial.
(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 Unthank Street as a local street. 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 Unthank Street between Throne Drive and North Danebo Avenue as shown
in Exhibit A is classified as a local street with a speed limit of 20 miles per hour. The street
segment is approximately 25 feet wide with alternating parking bays on both sides of the
street, allowing approximately 18 feet of roadway for two-way travel in a mixed
commercial and residential area. Sidewalks are present on both sides of the street segment.
There are no bike lanes.
ii. The abutting properties on the northern side of the street segment include a multi-building
commercial center with one asphalt parking lot, and two multi-family residences with
surface parking. The southern side of the street segment includes the Grasshopper
Meadows Park, and six multi-family residences with paved surface parking. Grasshopper
Meadows Park is open to the public between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
(j) Emergencies.
i. Emergency service vehicles are accommodated through bi-directional travel on Unthank
Street.
ii. Unthank Street is not designated as an emergency ice or snow removal route.
(k) The public health, safety and welfare.
Extended on-street parking taking place in this area has resulted in decreased access to
Grasshopper Meadows Park, residential, and commercial uses.
Administrative Order -- Page 4 of 6
(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 Unthank
Street as shown in Exhibit A.
(m) Construction within or adjacent to the street.
No construction is currently taking place on the portion of Unthank Street 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 is 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 two-hour time-limited parking from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.,
Monday through Sunday, except legal holidays. The two-hour parking signs will be
clearly marked as tow-away zones if the time limit is exceeded.
(2) The vehicle type and purpose;
Two-hour time-limited public parking for passenger and recreational vehicles 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 includes a public park called Grasshopper Meadows Park, and the public
parking areas are intended to provide access to the park in addition to nearby residential
and commercial areas.
(5) The location and physical characteristics of the parking area or facility;
Existing parking includes on-street parking on both sides of the street, paved surface
parking for the multi-family residential buildings, and a large, shared parking lot in the
commercial center of the abutting property.
Administrative Order -- Page 5 of 6
(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. The City has resources to enforce this area. 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;
There are nearby commercial uses on the portion of Unthank Street between Throne
Drive and North Danebo Avenue. Modification of parking supports adjacent
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
City staff prefer to establish parking time limits rather than prohibit parking entirely.
The City has resources to enforce this area. 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 Unthank Street between Throne
Drive and N Danebo Avenue shown in Exhibit A to this Order shall be restricted two-hour time-
limited parking from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday, except legal holidays only
in the green areas of Unthank Street shown on the attached Exhibit A to this Order. This is more
specifically described as follows:
a. Only two-hour parking shall be permitted from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., enforced as a tow-
away zone, except legal holidays, on the north side of Unthank Street from approximately
98 feet west of the intersection of Unthank Street and North Danebo Avenue to
approximately 675 feet west of North Danebo Avenue in the six continuous parking bays.
b. Only two-hour parking shall be permitted from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., enforced as a tow-
away zone, except legal holidays, on the south side of Unthank Street from approximately
724 feet west of the intersection of Unthank Street and North Danebo Avenue to
approximately 660 feet west of North Danebo Avenue.
c. Only two-hour parking shall be permitted from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., enforced as a tow-
away zone, except legal holidays, on the south side of Unthank Street from approximately