Sebastappeal by Sarah Glade Gurney - July 2017

I think we agree that free parking is key to the economic vitality of Sebastopol’s central core. “We” includes Sebastopol residents, business owners, commercial property owners, community members living in the surrounding area, visitors, and tourists.

I think we have other points in common. Pedestrians want this same area to be friendly and pleasant, and for locals on foot, a place to encounter friends and socialize. Cyclists need it to be safely accessible, with strategically placed bike racks.

The current focus is on the adequacy of available parking. Is Sebastopol’s downtown core under-parked or over-parked? I’ve heard energetic opinions on each side. “I want to park where I want, when I want, for as long as I want, for free, and I can never find a space.” On the other hand, “Get the cars out of there. They are ruining downtown. We have too many cars and not enough is done for people.”

I’ve received complaints from drivers who circle the Library lot, from neighbors impacted by the Senior Center, from drivers trying to get aroundThe Plaza when cars back up in the Whole Foods driveway, from businesses near Sunday’s Farm Market and The Barlow’s Street Fair.

The City provides free parking in several municipal lots, with time limits of 24-minutes, 2 or 3 hours. Some lots have no limitation; drivers can park all day and/or all night. The six lots are located: behind theSebastopol Library and City Hall; at The Plaza; west of Rialto Cinemas; by Burnett Street and Hopmonk Tavern; behind the Chamber of Commerce; and across from the Vet’s Auditorium, now Sebastopol Center for the Arts.

About two years ago, the City launched its “Park Once and Walk in Downtown Sebastopol” campaign with the tagline, “It’s free, easy and convenient!” This effort uses a simple one-page map to publicize the municipal lots. It’s been circulated to downtown businesses for distribution to customers and for use on websites and Facebook pages. Folks can find it on the City’s website by searching for the “Free Parking Map 2015.” Learn more about these lots and choose what works for you when.

Additionally, the Council negotiated extra spaces in the CVS lot that are neither limited in time nor restricted to customers. This seventh lot is featured on the “Free Parking Map,” too. From this new lot, shoppers can walk one block west to Main Street and two blocks north to The Barlow using new street-smart crosswalks on Petaluma and Sebastopol Avenues – an easy distance, according to conventional research that reports shoppers will walk ¼ mile to their destination, farther-in a shopping mall.

There are also several private parking lots for customers only: at Rite-Aid; at Whole Foods; at Rialto Cinemas; and at The Barlow. Shoppers use these lots as if they were city-owned, walking to many other locations than the sponsoring business. Fortunately, these private owners have been gracious about not enforcing the customer-only rule.

In other situations, there is more conflict. Some business owners vie over spaces outside of their entrances or argue about employees who park there and take customer spots. On-street parking has been illegally spoken for by specific businesses, with sandwich signs reading, “For [my] customers only.”

Neighborhoods, too, are not without strife. Most have some etiquette, like parking in front of one’s house rather than across the street. Nonetheless, homemade “tickets” can appear on windshields with messages like, “Don’t park here on Wednesday when the street cleaner comes.”

There are a lot of different needs to balance when considering past practices, possible changes, and durable solutions.

The Council is considering learning more about the downtown situation. On June 20, it will have reviewed a responsive proposal from thePine Grove Square Sub-Committee to gather statistics on the Burnett Street/Hopmonk/Chamber parking lots. Watch the video or review the minutes to learn what action was taken.

The Planning Commission will also consider this issue, when it reviews the Zoning Ordinance and related parking standards, to conform existing rules to the new General Plan. Check future agendas for the meeting date, time and place.

Next month, I’ve invited Mayor Una Glass to report about the Housing Sub-Committeee.