COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE     

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Mayor and Members of Council

 

 

 

 

FROM:

Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning and Urban Design

 

 

Jim Baird , Commissioner, Development Services

 

 

PREPARED BY:

David Clark, Town Architect

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

June 28, 2005     

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

Bringing Paid Parking into Effect in the Ferrier Road, Allstate Parkway, and Markham Centre areas of the Town     

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

 That the report dated June 28,2005, entitled “Bringing Paid Parking into Effect in the Ferrier Road, Allstate Parkway, and Markham Centre areas of the Town”  be received;

 

And that the Town’s consolidated Parking By-law be amended to bring into effect on street paid parking in the three identified areas of the town, subject to the Table of Rates and Restrictions as set out in Appendix A attached to this report.

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to advise Council of the results of the public open house held on June 13, 2005 with local area landowners and tenants in the three identified areas where on street paid parking has been approved in principle. As well the report brings forward a Table of Rates and Restrictions to amend the consolidated Parking By-Law to bring into effect paid parking regulations in the specific areas identified in Appendix A.

 

BACKGROUND:

At the Council meeting of May 24, 2005 Council approved in principle the establishment of a paid parking programme in the Town of Markham. Three geographic areas of the Town were identified for the installation of the first phase of on street metering. Prior to taking further action to bring the paid parking programme into effect, staff were authorized to hold a public information open house with local area stakeholders in the three identified areas and report back. The results of the public information open house are the subject of this report.

 

 

 

DISCUSSION:

 

A Public Information Open House was held on June 13, 2005

The invitation to the public information open house was mailed out to all registered residential and business owners and tenants in the immediate vicinity of the identified streets where paid parking is approved in principle by Council to be introduced. A copy of the invitation is attached as Appendix B.

 

The invitation was mailed out to approximately 1000 local area stakeholders in the three identified areas by June 1, 2005. The geographic areas covered by the invitation are shown on the maps attached to the invitation. A small number of stakeholders attended the open house in the Hilton Suites Hotel. Although a small group in number the three areas were represented and a good dialogue was established. Ralph Bond from BA Consulting Group as well as staff from Development Services were in attendance to answer questions and provide background to the identification of the three initial areas, the preparation of the financial feasibility study and proposed parking rates, hours of operation and duration. Staff gave a power point presentation based on the presentation made to Committee of the Whole and on the report endorsed by Council on May 24, 2005. Following the presentation, the floor was opened to questions and comments from the public attendees.

 

There was general support for the introduction of paid on street parking from the attendees and the programme was seen as a positive response to parking supply challenges. The attendees raised the general concern that the visitor and tenant parking facilities on site may be impacted as a result of employees or visitors to adjacent properties using their private parking facilities to avoid paying on street fees. Staff suggested that once paid parking was installed and operating, property management should monitor and document any encroachments onto the private parking facilities from unrelated visitors or employees and that the Town was receptive to work with the property owners and managers to find solutions.

 

Cox Boulevard residents raised the issue of school bus pick up and drop off activities along Cox Boulevard impacting traffic flows and the ability of residents to access and egress the condo during certain times of the day. They were also concerned that each bus from the Public, Separate and French Immersion boards stops at more than one location along the street and that some locations were a safety hazard for students because of their proximity to vehicular exits. They anticipated further pressures once the Tridel buildings are occupied.

 

Staff indicated that the reconstruction of the parking lay-bys was under way and will be in place for September, 2005. The parking bays should provide a place for the school busses to lay by adjacent to the curb out of the traffic flows. Staff agreed to work with the Transportation Department, By-Law Enforcement, the school boards and the condo to determine if a safe location can be designated and maintained along Cox to permit the buses to pick up and discharge students during the morning and afternoon peaks and paid parking permitted at other times of day.

 

Some general comments were made regarding assurance that the operation of paid parking would not have an impact on taxes over time, that parking rates may be too low to control parking use and that parking revenues should be retained and re-invested in parking solutions and structures over time especially once parking revenues increase and there may be pressures to direct parking generated revenues to other programmes.           

 

 Paid Parking Provisions were before General Committee for Endorsement 

On June 20th, 2005 a report entitled “Parking Control By-Law” prepared the Clerks Department  will be before General Committee for endorsement. The report brings forward a recommendation to Council to enact a consolidated parking by-law to govern and control the parking of vehicles in the Town.  The by-law incorporates, amongst other matters, new provisions requiring the payment for parking in designated areas, and establishes offences for improper use of paid parking spaces.  An application will be made to the Regional Chief Justice for approval of set fines for these offences.  The new by-law also contemplates the creation of “schedules” to the By-Law that will denote the geographic areas to which the paid parking provisions will apply. The creation of the initial “schedule” to the By-Law is the subject of the report.

 

Council is being asked in this report to incorporate a Table of Rates and Restrictions into the consolidated parking by-law that specifically sets out the public streets or portions of public streets on which parking machines will be installed and where paid parking provisions will apply. This report recommends the adoption of the Table of Rates and Restrictions attached to the report as Appendix A.

 

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The financial considerations related to the establishment of a paid parking programme in the Town were brought forward and endorsed by Council in the report dated May 24, 2005 entitled “Establishing a Paid Parking Programme in the Town of Markham”.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

There are no direct environmental impacts to this report

 

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

There are no direct accessibility impacts to this report

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The Legal Department, Clerks Department and By-law Enforcement and Licensing were consulted in the preparation of the report.

 

ATTACHMENTS:

Appendix A:     A Table of Rates and Restrictions identifying the public streets or portions of public streets to which paid parking regulations will apply

 

Appendix B:  Notice of Public Information Open House, June 13th, 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.

Director of Planning and Urban Design

 

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P., Commissioner, Development Services

 

 

 

 

Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\Markham Centre\Parking Strategy\Parkingschedulereport2.doc

Appendix A

 

 

Table of Rates and Restrictions

 

 

Locations where paid parking provisions will apply on the following streets; Allstate Parkway, Centurian Drive, Frontenac Drive, Cox Boulevard, Ferrier Street and Acadia Avenue.

 

Street

Side parking

Between

Times of day as indicated

Fee/ Time limit

Maximum duration

Allstate Parkway

West side

First and second driveways north of Highway 7

7:00 am to 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday

$2.00 per day flat rate

12 hours daily maximum

Centurian Drive

South side

Allstate Parkway and Frontenac Drive

7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday

$2.00 per day flat rate

14 hours daily maximum

Frontenac Drive

West side

Highway 7 and Centurian Drive

7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday

$2.00 per day flat rate

14 hours daily maximum

Cox Boulevard

North side

Town Centre Boulevard and Rodick Road

7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday

$1.00 per hour

2 hours

Ferrier Street

East side

Steeles Avenue to East/West section of Acadia Avenue

7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday

$2.00 per day flat rate

14 hours daily maximum

Acadia Avenue

South side

Ferrier Street to North/South section of Acadia Avenue

7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday

$2.00 per day flat rate

14 hours daily maximum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Locations where parking restrictions will apply on the following streets; Allstate Parkway, Centurian Drive, Frontenac Drive, Cox Boulevard, Town Centre Bopulevard, Ferrier Street and Acadia Avenue.

 

 

Street

Side parking

Between

Parking restriction

Fee/ Time limit

Maximum duration

Allstate Parkway

East and West

side

 

West side

 

 

East side

Centurian Drive and Valleywood Drive

Highway 7 and first driveway north of Hwy. 7

Highway 7 and Centurian Drive

Prohibited

 

 

 

N/A

Anytime

Centurian Drive

North side

Allstate Parkway and Frontenac Drive

Prohibited

N/A

Anytime

Frontenac Drive

East side

 

West side

 

 

 

West side

Highway 7 and Centurian Drive

Highway 7 and first driveway north of Highway 7 and

Centurian Drive and second driveway south of Centurian Drive

Prohibited

N/A

Anytime

Cox Boulevard

South side

Town Centre Boulevard and Rodick Road

Prohibited

N/A

Anytime

Ferrier Street

West side

 

 

 

 

East side

Steeles Avenue to a point opposite first driveway north of Acadia Avenue

Acadia Avenue  to first driveway north

Prohibited

N/A

Anytime

Acadia Avenue

North side

Ferrier Street to North/South section of Acadia Avenue

Prohibited

N/A

Anytime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix B

 

 

 

INVITATION TO A

PUBLIC INFORMATION OPEN HOUSE

 

ESTABLISHING ON STREET PAID PARKING IN THREE AREAS OF THE TOWN

 

At its meeting of May 24, 2005:  Markham Council approved, in principle, introducing metered parking on selected streets in the Ferrier Road, Allstate Parkway and Markham Centre areas of the Town as shown on the maps. Prior to implementing on street metering, Council has requested that a public information meeting be held with stakeholders in each of the affected areas to discuss the rationale and to provide an opportunity for input and comment.

 

The open house will take place:

Monday, June 13, 2005 – from 7pm to 9 pm

Hilton Suites Hotel at Highway 7 and Warden Avenue

Butternut room, second floor (up the stairs)

For further information please contact Kathryn Webber at

905-477-7000 ext 2466