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BACKGROUND <br /> As downtown Pleasanton has developed over the years, providing sufficient and <br /> convenient parking has been identified as one of the key foundational elements that <br /> support the vibrancy of the district. The most recent Downtown Specific Plan — approved <br /> in March 2002 — includes a full chapter outlining conditions, objectives, and strategies for <br /> parking in the central commercial area. At that time, there were approximately 3,320 on- <br /> street and off-street parking spaces to serve 843,000 square feet of commercial space. <br /> The plan notes that "to more effectively serve existing visitors to Downtown and to meet <br /> the demand of projected new development additional public and private parking needs to <br /> be provided" and offers several objectives toward this outcome: <br /> • To create 400 new parking spaces for the Downtown, consisting of both private <br /> and public parking <br /> • To develop an implementation plan and timeline for the construction of public <br /> parking facilities <br /> • To acquire land and construct public parking lots through parking in-lieu fees, funds <br /> advanced from Public Facilities fees, and parking assessment districts <br /> • To ensure that a significant amount of parking required to serve new development <br /> is provided on-site by private property owners. <br /> Primary among the opportunity sites for additional public parking was the Alameda <br /> County Transportation Corridor, which benefits from proximity to Main Street. Per the <br /> Downtown Specific Plan: "Acquiring the Corridor is the cornerstone of the City's public <br /> parking lot strategy for the Downtown." To this end, the Transportation Corridor was <br /> purchased by the City in 2008 and formally added 235 City-owned public parking spaces <br /> in the downtown. Since that time, the Corridor from Bernal Avenue north to Spring Street <br /> has been available for public parking with several sections fully improved by paving and <br /> lighting. The $7.5 million purchase of the Corridor did, however, deplete the funds that <br /> had previously accrued in the Downtown In-Lieu Parking Fund, leaving no significant <br /> balance in the fund for acquisition of other downtown parcels for public parking. <br /> The Downtown Specific Plan also identifies other strategies such as the formation of <br /> parking assessment districts, and incentives to encourage property owners to voluntarily <br /> allow public parking on private lots. Over the past decade the Pleasanton Downtown <br /> Association's parking subcommittee has been active in identifying locations and <br /> convening property owners for shared parking agreements, although efforts in this regard <br /> have not resulted in any agreements. <br /> Several recent redevelopment projects in the pipeline or already complete indicate a <br /> positive trend for economic growth in Downtown Pleasanton. While this progress is <br /> welcomed by the downtown merchants and the community as it brings new activity to the <br /> commercial district, it has also increased the demand for additional parking, and the need <br /> to more effectively manage downtown's existing parking supply. A 2013 parking study by <br /> Hexagon Transportation Consultants (Hexagon) (Attachment 1) showed that available <br /> parking along some blocks of downtown is near capacity during peak periods such as <br /> weekday lunch (11:00 am — 2:00 pm), weekday/weekend evenings and Saturday <br /> morning/afternoon during the farmers market. However, there is available parking toward <br /> Page 2 of 5 <br />