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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - August 18, 1999 H-01CITY OF I,ODI COUNCII. COMMUNICATION AGENDA TITLE: Truck Parking Restrictions at Various Locations MEETING DATE: August 18, 1999 PREPARED BY: Public Works Director RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council review current truck parking issues before the City and determine a plan of action. This report presents the following options: 1. Adopt "no commercial -vehicle parking" restrictions at some or all of the locations described. 2. Authorize the Public Works Director to install longer lengths of no -parking zones and to post commercial -vehicle parking restriction signs. 3. Modify existing truck parking ordinances to allow parking onl, in specified industrial areas. 4. Take no action. Continue to review each location on a casetIby-case basis. The following report includes background information, review and discussion of the proposed options. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Since 1990, the Public Works Traffic Engineering staff has received 166 complaints related to trucks, or an average of 18 annually. Of these complaints, 137 (83%) were related to truck parking. Twenty- two were related to truck travel, and the remaining 7 involved issues such as inadequate clearance for turning trucks. In response to truck parking complaints, in 1993 Council adopted ordinances prohibiting truck parking in a "residential district" and within 250 feet of a "residential district" if operating the truck engine or refrigerator unit between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Exhibit A). Since then, Council has dealt with specific locations on a case-by-case basis. Restrictions have been adopted on Elm Street at Lakewood Mall, south Cherokee Lane north of Almond Drive, Beckman Road north of Vine Street, Kettleman Lane at Vineyard Shopping Center, Cherokee Lane north of Harold Street, Kettleman Lane west of Beckman Road, Cherokee Lane at Pioneer Drive, Pacific Avenue north of Elm Street, Kettleman Lane west of Ham Lane, and Hutchins Street north of Harney Lane. Unresolved truck parking complaints exist at the following locations and are shown on Exhibit B: • Harney Lane and Hutchins Street — Shopping Center at northwest corner • Turner Road west of Rutledge Drive — Plaza Liquors • Sargent Road west of Lower Sacramento Road — Raley's Shopping Center • Cherokee Lane north of Poplar Street — Geweke Ford and Plummer Pontiac • Cherokee Lane north of Kettleman Lane — Sanborn Chevrolet, Perko's Restaurant, Holiday Inn Express • Kettleman Lane (All) — Subway Sandwiches, various locations The complaints reviewed included parked trucks creating visibility problems from driveways, blocking the visibility of businesses making if difficult to see into the business, and aesthetics. The Police Department was contacted regarding the safety concerns related to the visibility of businesses blocked by parked trucks. They indicated that they have a visibility concern from the street, especially at locations such as restaurants and fast food establishments, which can be robbed quickly. There is also a visibility concern when employees walk to their cars with the night deposit at closing time. APPROVED: H. Dixon Flynn -- City anager CTRUCKPKG99.DOC 08H0/99 Truck Parking Restrictions at Various Locations August 18, 1999 Page 2 Staff checked these locations at five different times of the day to determine truck parking demand. Staff also surveyed all of Cherokee Lane and Kettleman Lane, since these are the roadways with the heaviest truck parking as well as the locations where most complaints are received. The results of these surveys are shown on Exhibit C. The largest number of trucks observed was 34 during the 8:30 p.m. survey. Trucks parking during the remaining four surveys ranged from 6 to 12. There were a total of as many as 13 to 14 trucks parked on each Cherokee Lane and Kettleman Lane. Of the locations where truck parking complaints have been received, the only locations where truck parking was observed on a regular basis was adjacent to the commercial development at the northwest comer of Hutchins Street and Harney Lane, and on Sargent Road west of Lower Sacramento Road in front of Raley's Supermarket. Although truck parking was not observed in front of the auto dealerships on Cherokee Lane, we understand Sanborn Chevrolet places vehicles along its frontage to discourage truck parking. REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED OPTIONS 1. Similar to recent actions, Council could amend Traffic Resolution #97-148 to adopt no commercial - vehicle parking between certain hours. Staff will have a list of the specific locations, distances, and recommended hours available at the meeting. 2. One option is to authorize the Public Works Director to install longer lengths of no -parking zones and restrict commercial -vehicle parking. Currently, per Lodi Municipal Code (LMC) Section 10.44.020(F), the Public Works Director can install up to 20 feet of no parking. Increasing this distance to 100 feet will cover most circumstances where sight distance is a problem. Commercial -vehicle parking restrictions are currently adopted by Council resolution amending Section 3, "Street Parking Restriction", in Traffic Resolution #97-148. Giving staff more authority to regulate parking should expedite response time and allow easy removal of the restriction should conditions change. We would do so in consultation with the business and/or property owner. We could establish an internal work group (i.e., Police, Community Development, Economic Development) to review complaints and take action. In cases where the person making the request disagrees with staff's conclusion, the City Council would be available to make the final decision. 3. Another option is to modify existing truck parking ordinances to allow truck parking only in specified industrial areas. Truck parking in all other locations would be illegal unless the truck is in the process of making a pick up or delivery. Only permitting truck parking in selected areas would eliminate the truck parking complaints we currently have, but is likely to generate some from the businesses in the selected industrial area(s). Other concerns are related to drivers getting to and from their trucks and whether or not truck parking would be allowed for extended periods. If truck drivers replace their trucks with the cars they use to get there, parking would be reduced in front of adjacent businesses. Also, since truck -parking surveys performed show there are a significant amount of trucks parked during normal business hours, it is likely the affected businesses would want parking limited. 4. The final option is to take no action and continue to review each location on a case-by-case basis. This option is the most time consuming to Council and staff. Leaving conditions as they are will continue to require Council action on all visibility complaints unless they can be resolved by the installation of 20 feet or less of no parking. While this is often enough in residential areas and on lower speed streets, it does not work on the busier streets with higher speeds where we have been receiving truck complaints. Although this option will continue to involve Council, it may expose the City to the least liability. CTRUCKPKG99.DOC Truck Parking Restrictions at Various Locations August 18, 1999 Page 3 Providing Truck Parking Nearly every discussion about restricting truck parking has included comments in support of independent truck drivers who need some place to park. There are no full-service truck stops in the City and relatively few commercial establishments that provide truck parking. There is at least one private industrial lot available for parking space rental. While there have been some suggestions that the City operate a truck parking lot, there has been some concern expressed that the City of Lodi should not get into the business of competing with others operating truck -parking establishments. And, whether such a lot is public or private, allowing substantial amounts of on -street parking provides little incentive for use of a lot. While the City has vacant land that could be developed for this use, the capital costs would likely exceed $100,000. One option being explored is a permit system specifying certain streets for truck parking. Streets that would affect no businesses because the adjacent property is not developable, and are also wide enough to accommodate truck parking, include the south side of Lodi Avenue east of Beckman Road adjacent to the railroad line and the east side of Guild Avenue between Lodi Avenue and Pine Street adjacent to the cemetery. Including streets along vacant lots that haven't been developed yet could be done but would likely present a problem later. Security for the trucks could be contracted out to a private firm by the City and funded by fees collected for the permits. Truck drivers would have to display the permits (stickers) on their trucks to be eligible to park in the designated areas. Since the drivers are paying for the security of their trucks, there is also some liability concern related to vandalism. Cost to provide one security guard, in a vehicle, is approximately $15 per hour. This translates to $55,000 per year for 10 hours of coverage each night. Assuming 30 permits, this would mean the permits would cost $150 per month at full cost recovery. If Council chooses to pursue this program, staff will return with a report and recommendation to set a public hearing. FUNDING: Installation of signs would come from the Street Maintenance Operating Budget. ar*� Richard C. Prima, r. Public Works Director Prepared by Rick S. Kiriu, Senior Engineering Technician RCP/RSK/lm Attachments cc: Randy Hays, City Attorney Larry Hansen, Police Chief Bruce McDaniel, Police Lieutenant George Bradley, Street Superintendent Paula Fernandez, Associate Traffic Engineer Concerned Citizens Gary Lund California Trucking Association CTRUCKPKG99.DOC EXHIBIT A 10.52.050 Parking restrictions. A. It is unlawful to park a commercial vehicle exceeding a maximum gross weight of ten thousand pounds on any street in a residential district. For the purposes of this section, "residential district" means residentially zoned areas designated by the city zoning code (any "R" district) and includes schools, parks, playgrounds, community centers, churches, museums, golf courses (excluding miniature golf courses) and similar recreational uses of a noncommercial nature, and public utility service buildings where they are located in a residential district. B. This section shall not prohibit parking of commercial vehicles in the process of being loaded or unloaded. (Ord. 1567 § 2, 1993: Ord. 1410 § 1 (part), 1987) 10.52.080 Parking noise restrictions. A. It is unlawful on any public right of way to stop, park or leave standing for more than five consecutive minutes, a commercial vehicle exceeding a maximum gross vehicle weight rating of ten thousand pounds within two hundred fifty feet of a residential district while operating diesel and/or auxiliary engines between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m. Auxiliary engines include but are not limited to refrigerator units. This distance shall be measured in a straight line within the public right-of-way from the engine to the nearest point on the district boundary (i.e., not around corners or through private property). The term "residential district" is as defined in Section 10.52.050(A). (Vehicle Code 22507) B. This section shall not prohibit parking of commercial vehicles in the process of being loaded or unloaded. C. This section shall not apply to parking on state highways. (Ord. 1581 § 1 (part), 1993) y OFACITY OF LODI w 1FORPUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TRUCK PARKING COMPLAINTS lid EXHIBIT B MIME ■ n .. all ==Jj��� "MEN ■■■■■111111..,,, 111110uuR...r 7; 77 TRUCK PARKING SURVEY Locations where truck parking complaint have been received are shown bold STREET LOCATION BUSINESS 9:30 AM TRUCKS 11:30 AM OBSERVED 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 8:30 PM Lot AYQ Turner Road W/Rutledge Plaza Liquors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Harney Lane W/Hutchins Mall @ NW corner 1 0 1 1 3 6 1 Hutchins Street N/Harney Mall Q NW corner 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Sargent Road W/Lower Sac Raley's 3 0 0 2 3 8 2 SUBTOTALI 4 1 0 1 1 1 3 1 7 Cherokee Lane N/Almond (west side) Mobile Home Park 0 0 0 1 4 5 1 Cherokee Lane N/Kettleman Lodi Academy (west side) 4 3 3 2 8 20 4 Cherokee Lane N/Kettleman Sanborn Chevrolet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cherokee Lane N/Kettleman Perko's (east side) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Cherokee Lane S/Poplar (east side) Holiday Inn Express 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cherokee Lane N/Poplar (east side) Geweke Used Cars 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cherokee Lane N/Poplar Geweke Ford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cherokee Lane N/Poplar Plummers Pontiac 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cherokee Lane S/Lodi east side K -Mart 1 1 1 0 1 4 1 Cherokee Lane S/Locust (west side) Del Monte Club 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 SUBTOTAI-1 2 1 1 J 1 J 0 1 1 Kettleman Lane E/Lower Sac (north side) Old Sunwest Liquors 0 0 1 1 1 3 1 Kettleman Lane W/dwy (north side) Big 5, Coco's 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kettleman Lane W/Sylvan (south side) Retirement Home 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Kettleman Lane E/Sylvan (south side) Under Construction 0 2 2 2 2 8 2 Kettleman Lane W/WID (south side) Vacant 1 0 0 0 4 5 1 Kettleman Lane Bet Lee & Pleasant (north side) Old Chevron station 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kettleman Lane Bet Lee & Pleasant (south side) Golden Ox 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kettleman Lane E/Stockton (south side) National Rental,Geweke R 0 0 1 2 3 6 1 Kettleman Lane E/Central (south side) Subway 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Kettleman Lane E/Central (north side) Lodi Academy 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 SUBTOTALI 1 1 2 1 4 1 5 113 TOTALJ 7 1 3 1 6 1 8 21 truck99 N-1 TRUCK PARKING RESTRICTIONS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION City of Sacramento — Illegal to park commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lbs. or more in a residential district. City of Stockton — Illegal to park vehicles having a gross weight limit exceeding three tons except on designated truck routes. Also illegal to park commercial vehicles for more than 60 minutes between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. where the abutting lot is zoned either residential or commercial. Stockton is a charter city. City of Tracy — By resolution, Council may restrict parking of vehicles with GVWR of 10,000 lbs. or more between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. in a residential district. The City Manager may grant permits exempting vehicles from the restriction in areas lacking adequate off-street parking. City of Roseville — Illegal to park vehicles with GVWR of 10,000 lbs. or more in a residential district. City of Galt — Illegal to park commercial vehicles exceeding a maximum gross weight limit of five tons in residential district. With the exception of two roadways, parking in other districts is limited to two hours. City of Livermore — Illegal to park commercial vehicles in residential districts. Truck parking in other areas handled on a case-by-case basis using vehicle length limitations. City of Novato — Illegal to park vehicles over five tons except on truck routes. CTRUCKPKG99SUPLMNTL.DOC 08/18/99 CITY COUNCIL KEITH LAND, Mayor CITY O F T O DI STEPHEN J. MANN 1� Mayor Pro Tempore CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET SUSAN HITCHCOCK P.O. BOX 3006 LAN S. NAKANISHI ALAN PENNING LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241-1910 PHILLI(209) 333-6706 FAX (209) 333-6710 August 12, 1999 SUBJECT: Truck Parking Restrictions at Various Locations H. DIXON FLYNN City Manager ALICE M. REIMCHE City Clerk RANDALL A. HAYS City Attorney Enclosed is a copy of background information on an item on the City Council agenda of Wednesday, August 18, 1999. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, Carnegie Forum, 305 West Pine Street. This item is on the regular calendar for Council discussion. You are welcome to attend. If you wish to write to the City Council, please address your letter to City Council, City of Lodi, P. 0. Box 3006, Lodi, California, 95241-1910. Be sure to allow time for the mail. Or, you may hand -deliver the letter to City Hall, 221 West Pine Street. If you wish to address the Council at the Council Meeting, be sure to fill out a speaker's card (available at the Carnegie Forum immediately prior to the start of the meeting) and give it to the City Clerk. If you have any questions about communicating with the Council, please contact Alice Reimche, City Clerk, at (209) 333-6702. If you have any questions about the item itself, please call Rick Kiriu at (209) 333-6800, ext. 668. t d Richard C. Prima, J . Public Works Director RCPIIrn Enclosure cc: City Clark✓/ NCTRUCKPKG99.DOC MR RICHARD SANBORN SANBORN CHEVROLET P O BOX 1057 LODI CA 95241 LARAMIE ROBERTS 412 TIOGA DR LODI CA 95242 MR MIKE FURNISH 1736 S CHURCH ST LODI CA 95240 PLAZA LIQUORS ATTN TOM GRAVES 2420 W TURNER RD LODI CA 95242 MR GARY LUND P O BOX 22 LODI CA 95241 RALEY'S SUPERMARKET ATTN MANAGER 333 S LWR SACRAMENTO RD LODI CA 95242 CALIFORNIA TRUCKING ASSN ATTN W RONALD COALE LOCAL GOVT CONSULTANT 3251 BEACON BLVD W SACRAMENTO CA 95691 LUCTRUCKMG99AOC PERKO'S RESTAURANT SUBWAY SANDWICHES ATTN MIKE REZA ATTN BARRY STIRM 1170 S CHEROKEE LN 429 E KETTLEMAN LN LODI CA 95240 LODI CA 95240 LODI FAMILY TAEKWONDO CNTR TOKAY MARKET ATTN MANAGER ATTN HARJINDER HUNDAL 523 W HARNEY LN #3 2525 S HUTCHINS ST LODI CA 95240 LODI CA 95240 JACQUE SUTPHIN MS MARY KAY MEYER 321 E CENTURY BLVD 805 S ROSE ST LODI CA 95240 LODI CA 95240 GEWEKE PROPERTIES ATTN DALE GILLESPIE MARILYN HARD P O BOX 1210 PARKING HEARING TECH LODI CA 95241 PLUMMER PONTIAC HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS ATTN GENERAL MANAGER ATTN MANAGER 1011 S CHEROKEE LN 1140 S CHEROKEE LN LODI CA 95240 LODI CA 95240 VALLEY CINEMAS USA GASOLINE ATTN MANAGER 2500 W LODI AVE 2750 W LODI AVE LODI CA 95242 LODI CA 95242 SAN JOAQUIN CO PW DEPT ATTN TOM FLINN DEPUTY DIR/ENGINEERING P O BOX 1810 STOCKTON CA 95201-1810 i;1 T Y .: I_ F tR CIT Y OF L0 1 City Council, City of Lodi P.O. Box 3006 Lodi, Ca 95241 Dear Council Members, Plaza Food and Liquor 2420 W. Turner Rd. Lodi, Ca 95242 I am writing in response to you adopting a "No commercial -vehicle parking zone" on Turner Road, west of Rutledge Drive, in front of my business, Plaza Food and Liquor. I have a number of reasons to ask for your support in this matter: 1. Large trucks parked in front block of the store block visibility - this in turn affects sales. This also adds to security concerns when the front of the store cannot be seen by passing motorists. 2. Customers leaving by the West exit onto Turner Road cannot see to their right when a large truck is parked there. To make matters worse, the Grape Line Bus Stop going East on Tuner is to the left of this exit. When a bus is on one side, and a truck is on the other, using this exit can be very dangerous. 3. When a large truck is parked in front of the store, cars trying to turn left from Rutledge Drive onto Turner Road cannot see the on coming traffic. This creates a very dangerous driving condition for residents in the surrounding neighborhoods. 4. Directly across the street from my business is the Grape Line Bus Stop going West On Turner Road. I see people crossing Turner at the corner of Rutledge several times a day to get this bus stop ( there is no crosswalk at this corner). When a truck is parked there, not only can the pedestrians not see the traffic, the drivers cannot see the pedestrians. There are also many students from Woodbridge Middle School that do this. I believe this is the most important reason that you approve the "No Parking Zone", it could prevent a terrible accident. I would like to add that I have instructed my employees to park their vehicles in the front of the store to prevent the trucks from parking there, this has been a reasonable temporary solution. I am sure this is the reason that your survey said that no trucks were observed at this location. In closing ,I would like to note that with all of the growth that is happening to the west of Lower Sacramento Road, traffic on Turner will only get worse. We are not talking about losing an extensive amount of truck parking, there is only room for one at a time to park here. Lets do the right thing and prevent a serious accident in the future. Thank you, —i,44 " Tom Graves, Owner,Plaza Food and Liquor C '"'ED City Council,'; `^ ! 7 City of Lodi CiTY CLERK Ladies and Gentlemen of the City Council, 1 1 T Y I L DID I I am a retired truck driver, so I [more so than you] can see the writing on the wall regarding tracks. First o$ Trucks park on Lodi streets because they can and it's free, and they'll take as much as they can get for as long as they can. Other cities post "no commercial vehicle parking" signs and force trucks to park in the industrial area, or into another city. Ever wonder where these trucks parked before they parked in Lodi? Well about 35% of diem parked in Stockton on and around West Iane before they posted "no parking" signs. A lot of other trucks have their own yards, but choose to clutter the streets so they can walk from their track to their house. I had to furnish my own transportation to a from work, how about you? The names of these trucking firms that have their own yards and park on Lodi streets are: Frank Alegre trucking [Lodi], Gannon trucking [Lodi],Swift Transportation [Stockton], Cherokee Freight Lines [Stockton], Valley Materials [Stockton], and California Bulk [Stockton]. There is no reason whatsoever, that the city of Lodi should pull any money out of their pocket to furnish parking places for any of these trucks.They are a business and if they can't afford to rent a parking space for there business, then they should raise their razes and if they can't do that then they shouldn't be in business. It was said by one of the councilmen [at the last meeting about trucks] that they feel that the city of Lodi owes them a place to park because they haul Loch's freight into town Well believe me they don't do this service for nothing, as a matter of fact they get paid very good, and besides just about 98% of these trucks haul elsewhere and not into Lodi. Our Lodi merchants have to rent places for their business, so why should the truckers be allowed to do business off the streets? I recommend option # 1, Adopt "no commercial -vehicle parking" restrictions at all of the locations described. Thank you, Mike 1736 So. Church St. Lodi, Ca 95240 Dear Council Member, Lodi's truck parking problem is not about Lodi truckers. It is about truck drivers who prefer to ve in Lodi. Check the names on the ctors and vans. Also, see what state issued the license plates. You don't rind Lodi trucking companies, such as: Alberg; Allegre; Gannon Kishida; Teresi or Vaz. What you will fmd is a profusion of out of town and some out of state names and licenses from companies that contribute little or nothing to Lodi's economy. This parking not only spreads over public areas, it also invades private property, without the consent or knowledge of the owners (i.e. the bare Land south of F&M bank in the Raleys shopping area). To the rest of the business world, commuting and parking fees are a normal part of the cost of doing business or earning a living. There is no reason why the taxpayers of Lodi should subsidize the convenience of these people or their employers. Jon Withers 2448 Corbin Lane Lodi, CA 95242 334-5040 Aug -18-99 07:14 P_01 G*REM,iNc. DEVELOPMENT. CONSTRUCTION, MANAGEMENT August 18, 1999 SENT via FAX ONLY Honorable Mayor & Council Members, and Richard Prima. Public Works Director FAX 209 333-6710 RE: Truck Parking - Agenda item for August 18'h City Council Meeting Dear Mayor, Council Members, & Mr. Prima: 1 am in receipt of Mr. Prima's Council Communication regarding truck parking. Hopefully, you have read my letter sent to you last week. Other commitments do not allow me to attend the Council meeting tonight, however, upon reviewing the Council Communication, I have some additional comments. # 1. Although not specifically stated in the report, it would appear, based on the survcy results for South Cherokee Lane, that no truck parking problem exists. I can assure you, that we and the other business owners in this area have enough other business to attend to than call and write letters complaining about truck parking - if it wasn't a problem, you wouldn't be hearing from us! There is a significant problem of truck and trailer combinations blocking the view and endangering the egress from our facilities as they are parked. #2. As the owner of both developed, (Century Self Storage -NW corner of Century Blvd. & Stockton Street), and undeveloped, (Beckman & Kettleman area), M 1 and M-2 property, we are strongly opposed to allowing truck parking on these streets. For example, one semi truck and trailer combination parked on Stockton Street in front of Century Self Storage, (M-2 zone), totally blocks the view of our facility from Southbound Stockton Street. The same size truck parked on our Century Boulevard frontage totally blocks the view from Northbound Stockton Street. When trucks are parked in both of these locations at the same time, (it is happening!), most new customers cannot find us. The same problem was occuring at Beckman Road and E. Kettleman Lane, until the Council approved a no -parking zone on these two streets. Now that "new" Beckman Road is nearly complete, we are in the early stages of developing a business/technology park on our M-1 property North of E. Kettlernan Lane. No office space user or high-tech firm is going to locate in an area where the streets are lined with trucks. P.O. BOK 1210 • 920 S. CHEROKEE LANE. SUITE A 9 LODI. CA 95241 (209) 333-4565 • FAX (2o9) 334.1828 Aug -18-99 07:15 U. In regards to the various recommendations made in the Council Communication, we are vehemently opposed to the City getting in the business of truck parking. Of the options presented, we feel a combination of 1 and 2 are viable. There are many areas where parking between the hours of 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM would not be objectionable. I think the Zed option of allowing a 100 foot no parking zone at the discretion of the Public Works Director is a must for the safety people trying to exit businesses where semi trucks are parked. 1 appreciate the opportunity to comment on this issue_ Sincerely, Dale ZNGillespie cc: Daryl Geweke P.02