Council moves closer to approving temporary parking lots

The Leavenworth City Council appears to be getting closer to approving temporary parking lots in the commercial zones of the city. It was first brought up at a city council study session. The discussion continued at the May 22 city council meeting.
“We were able to study this one more because it has a little more pieces to the puzzle. The components are the same as we talked about during the study session, gravel parking lots, temporary in nature. We have some restrictions on signage. We want to make sure it is consistent,” said City Development Manager Nathan Pate.
Pate said if you allow for overnight parking, that’s fine, but when you start having people tent camping, that’s not the real purpose of a parking lot.
“If someone needs an opportunity to be in their vehicle because of too much to drink or whatever and they stay overnight, that is a piece of the puzzle. But if it is an RV intentionally showing up there every three days, I hope the council can say that is not appropriate. That is the only real question I had for the council,” Pate said.
Parking areas should be marked to delineate parking stalls, Councilman Elmer Larsen said.
“We don’t need to get specific, but I’m assuming, on a lawn, you could just chalk it or spray paint. We don’t know what the surface is going to be, so its open ended,” Larsen said.
Mayor Cheri Kelley Farivar said the parking lot next door to city hall was treated much the same way before it was paved. She said they are trying to solve the parking problem without making it too difficult. Pate said there are not a lot of rules.
Larsen noted that structures, except for pay-boxes, are prohibited.
“What happens if somebody wants to put a Port-a-Potty in there? It’s a temporary structure on a temporary lot and I think some people would appreciate it,” Larsen said.
Pate asked, if Port-a-potties were allowed, should they be enclosed and Bavarian compliant? Larsen said if the city doesn’t make it simple, people won’t do it. Councilwoman Margaret Neighbors read a portion of the proposed ordinance,  “The council intends to discontinue temporary parking lots upon the instillation of permanent parking.” In what century would that be?, Neighbors asked.
“This was a big discussion item. One of things we recognized, that at some point, there may be a parking structure built in this town. That’s what we’re referring to,” Farivar responded.
“We said, we’re not building parking for festival weekends. Christmas Lighting, there will never be enough parking for that,” Neighbors said.
Farivar said the temporary parking lots are not just for a weekend in December.
“We’re talking about temporary parking lots that may be long term, two, three or four years that may get us through until such a parking solution, like parking structure,” Farivar said.
Temporary parking lots would be licensed every year, Pate said, so once the council says it done, it will be discontinued. At this time, temporary lots are only allowed in the commercial district.
“We don’t want to venture into the other areas, which could be controversial. If this is successful, council could come back,” Pate said.
Somebody may want to go five years with a temporary parking lot, Larsen said.
“We might say, we’ll go five years if you pave. We may want to get the point where someone is willing to invest some money, but they won’t if we’re going pull their permit next year,” Larsen said. “This should be something we should be open to. We might get a more finished product, like landscaping, which they wouldn’t otherwise.”
They could make upgrades, Pate said.
“One of the examples that came up with the Bavarian Lodge. Before it was the lodge, it was an unpaved temporary parking lot. We’re encouraging somebody who has a future plans for a hotel or different use of some kind, to use that area as temporary parking to help us solve our parking problem here in the downtown area,” Farivar said.
“When we stripe it and mark it, it actually brings more efficient use of the space. This is a bridge to get that,” Pate said.  
Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.