Agenda Information Sheet
DEPARTMENT: Police
CM/ ACM: Jon Fortune
Date: September 16, 2014
SUBJECT
Title
Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, Texas prohibiting parking on the east side of Highland Park Road from its intersection with North Texas Boulevard to its intersection with Westridge Street; prohibiting parking on the west side of Highland Park Road beginning 670 feet from its intersection with North Texas Boulevard to its intersection with Tremont Circle; prohibiting parking for certain time periods and only when signs are in place on both sides of Underwood Street from Avenue C (Interstate Highway 35 East access road) to its intersection with Highland Park Road; prohibiting parking for certain time periods and only when signs are in place on the west and north side of Highland Park Road from its intersection with North Texas Boulevard to the point on Highland Park Road 670 feet from its intersection with North Texas Boulevard; prohibiting parking for certain time periods and only when signs are in place on both sides of Kendolph Street from its intersection with Underwood Street to its intersection with Interstate 35 East; providing a repealer clause; providing a savings clause; providing for a penalty not to exceed $500 for violations of this ordinance; providing that violations of this ordinance shall be governed by Chapter 18 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Denton; and providing for an effective date. The Traffic Safety Commission recommends approval (5-0).
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BACKGROUND
On September 10, 2011, the new UNT Apogee Stadium opened its doors for football games and other special events. With the opening, residents in the nearby Denia Neighborhood were concerned for the potential of an increased amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic associated with those attending events. Along with these concerns was a desire of the residents to not lose on-street parking in front of their residences to those coming to attend games. On August 16, 2011 in an attempt to address these concerns, the Denton City Council passed an ordinance creating a "Resident Only Parking Program" for streets within a set area of the Denia neighborhood. This program proved cumbersome and unpopular with everyone involved and was repealed the following year.
For the 2012 football season, the Police Department utilized a Temporary Emergency Order that established no parking zones within a much smaller portion of the footprint taken in by the ordinance from the previous year. This emergency order gave employees of the Police Department authority to take enforcement action regarding vehicles parked in locations that created public safety issues on the streets immediately surrounding Apogee Stadium. The streets affected by the emergency order were posted with temporary No Parking signs. Enforcement of standard State Law parking violations was continued on streets further away from the stadium. The deployment and the collection of the temporary signs and bases, over 30 in number, took a considerable amount of employee time and equipment to accomplish for each game.
In 2013, the Police Department again employed the Temporary Emergency Order and utilized the same enforcement of State Law parking violations on the streets surrounding the stadium.
Additional concerns from residents on Highland Park Circle were addressed regarding emergency vehicle access to their street by establishing a no parking area on either side of a traffic island entering into the main portion of the street. No other changes were made to the plan for addressing neighborhood concerns. During the 6 home games of the 2013 season, the Police Department spent $9,394 in overtime to deploy the temporary signs, patrol the area during the event, and pick the signs up. Beginning in the latter part of 2014, UNT has advised the Denton Police Department of increased usage scheduled for Apogee Stadium for large scale events in addition to home football games. These additional events would place further strain on the Police Department resources for deploying and recovering the signs for events of which we are given notice.
For the 2014 season, the Police Department is seeking a more permanent solution to the parking concerns of the neighborhood. In an attempt to be more efficient with the efforts to address neighborhood concerns and provide increased public safety, the Police Department proposes to establish permanent no parking zones along certain portions of Highland Park Road where on-street parking is problematic and unsafe at all times. In addition to these permanent no parking areas, additional permanent signs would be deployed that would have hinged flip-up signs to notify citizens when parking is prohibited in particular areas during large stadium events. The temporary areas were created to address certain locations that normally are not an issue but with events at the stadium have historically proven problematic. By utilizing permanent signs, a significant decrease in employee hours and equipment usage is expected. Exhibit 1 provides a map of the location for the permanent no parking and the temporary no parking areas.
OPTIONS
1. Council can approve the ordinance as proposed.
2. Council can reject the ordinance and direct staff to make changes to the proposed ordinance.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the ordinance as proposed.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (Council, Boards, Commissions)
09/08/14 - Traffic Safety Commission
FISCAL INFORMATION
The cost for 13 permanent and 12 temporary flip-up signs is expected to be $1,819. This estimate does not include the cost of Traffic engineering personnel to install the signs or for the company to mark utility lines prior to installation of the poles. Funding for the signs, poles, and labor will be provided from the Traffic Safety Fund.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1 - Map
Exhibit 2 - Ordinance
Respectfully submitted:
Lee Howell
Chief of Police
Prepared by:
David Hildebrand
Lieutenant