Planning Commission Meeting

The results of our visit to the Planning Commission are...drum roll...We haven't a clue whether they listened or will take action. To be fair, it was after 9 pm by the time we were able to speak. Earlier in the meeting during the discussion of the agenda items, some Commissioners did comment that parking needs to be addressed so we remain hopeful. We know some of you sent letters to the Commission. It's very possible they hadn't received them early enough to read them because they had many protest letters for those agenda items, too. We've gotten the impression that they are still likely to read letters from the public.

Speaking to staff has generally been ineffective because they will not discuss the policies that need to change. That's why we forced ourselves to sit through a 4 1/2 hour meeting so we could speak directly to the Commission (again) during Public Comment for our 3 minute limit each.

The TAPS board spoke as did 3 other people who have devoted time to parking improvements in this area: Jason Harris, Jeffrey Thompson (ABNA Parking Task Force), and Becky Fears. Together, we summarized the roadblocks we've encountered and told them how the parking study came about. Most importantly, we made it clear that action is needed ASAP, before they approve more buildings with inadequate parking. We asked them to press for the study session that they have requested twice before. We gave them very specific options for action but also welcomed other ideas they have for action.

It was dissappointing that they didn't request a study session but it was very late.

Jason Harris also spoke about parking during the Land Use Element portion of the meeting.

He referred to parts of the letter TAPS' attorney sent to the City protesting that parking had been left out of the LUE. The decision on the LUE

was postponed but we didn't get the impression that anything about parking will change in the LUE. The postponement was mostly to address the concerns that only certain areas of the city are being made to bare the impacts of increased density.