The City Council approved a resolution on July 14 establishing a new overnight preferential parking zone on Larkin Court and launching a yearlong pilot project to increase on-street parking along a nearby portion of Monroe Street.
The action creates a two-hour preferential parking zone on Larkin Court between Monroe Street and the street's eastern terminus. Parking will be limited to two hours from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, except for residents with permits and their guests.
Council members also approved a 12-month pilot project converting the Monroe Street frontage road between Ouida Drive and Monroe Street to one-way northbound traffic while adding diagonal parking stalls along the west side of the roadway. City staff estimate the changes will increase parking capacity on the street segment by 50 percent, creating five additional parking spaces.
The measures are intended to address longstanding neighborhood parking concerns while accommodating parking demand generated by the nearby Lorraine Terrace Apartments.
According to the staff report, residents on Larkin Court submitted a petition meeting the city's requirement that at least 75 percent of affected households support creation of a preferential parking zone, with nine of the street's 12 households signing the petition.
Residents reported that apartment overflow parking frequently left little room for neighborhood parking, interfered with driveway access and trash collection, generated late-night noise, and contributed to parking violations and litter.
The city's preferential parking program is designed to help residential neighborhoods affected by outside parking demand by reserving overnight parking for permit holders while still allowing limited short-term parking during restricted hours.
Outside of the overnight restrictions, normal parking rules will remain in effect.
City staff said the newly approved Larkin Court parking restrictions are expected to push some apartment overflow parking farther south onto the Monroe Street frontage road. The city approved a similar preferential parking zone on Ouida Drive in January, part of the same pattern of overflow parking shifting from one block to the next as restrictions take effect nearby.
Because parking is currently prohibited along the west side of that roadway due to its width, the city proposed the temporary one-way traffic pattern and diagonal parking configuration to create additional parking supply before considering permanent changes. The pilot will allow officials to evaluate impacts on both traffic circulation and parking availability over the next year.
The proposal previously received unanimous support from the city's Transportation Board in March, with all five members present voting to recommend both the preferential parking zone and the Monroe Street pilot project.
Implementation of the resolution is expected to cost approximately $3,500 for fabrication of new parking signs, with funding available through the Public Works Department's streets maintenance budget.
