PC 06/24/1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ms. Jeanette Miller, business owner at 397 Ray Street, next-door to Coffee Roast Express, representing the businesses on Ray Street and Main Street, indicated that they aze already impacted by the parking problem for their clients and patients. She expressed concern about additional pazking problems in the future with the addition of the second-floor office. She added that the new City ordinance for massage therapists requires them to provide parking for their patients, but pazking should be the landlords' responsibility, and Coffee Roast Express should provide parking spaces for its tenants. Mr. Joseph Mendez, 4479 Mirador Drive, business owner at 218 Ray Street, indicated his opposition to the project because it does not have sufficient pazking available and the City has no design nor schedule for public pazking anywhere in the Downtown. He stated that with the absence of available parking for the project, vehicles would logically turn right onto Ray Street. He added that he did not appreciate having a "For Lease" sign on the project site before this process was completed. Ms. Linda Frost, 397 Ray Street, stated that she is opposed to a defen•ed pazking in-lieu agreement because pazking is needed now and cannot be deferred to an indefinite time in the future. She added that parking on First Street is not acceptable because her clients just come by to drop off or pick up accounting work and they should not have to walk down from First Street to her business to do that. She requested that the Commission deny the application. Mr. Harry Spoliotopoulos, 357 Ray Street, refereed to Condition No. 14 of the original conditions of approval which provides for the widening of Ray Street. He stated that the project has been going on for two years and has occupied five pazking spaces on Main Street that no one can utilize. He expressed his opposition to the office space addition. Mr. Churka commented that pazking may get worse when his business opens but that he is providing 20 stalls for his customers. With respect to the Ray Street widening, he stated that at a City Council meeting in 1995, Mr. Bill van Gelder, the City's Traffic Engineer, indicated that widening Ray Street would not solve the traffic problem of merging from Main Street to Ray Street. He added that widening Ray Street would increase traffic up and down Ray Street. In response to Chair Cooper, he stated that the City Council waived the requirement that he pay $25,000 for the widening of Ray Street since the widening would not occur. In addition, he donated 200 square feet on the front of his site to the City for improvements. With respect to the five pazking stalls in front of his project, he indicated that the barricade was installed approximately eight months ago for public safety but that it should be taken down shortly. PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED Commissioner Kumazan stated that he has always been a proponent of having infrastructure precede growth. He pointed out that the 1995 approval was for aone-story building with a basement and attic space, structurally engineered to allow a second floor, possibly in the event that St. John Street and Ray Street are widened and traffic improves. However, traffic has become worse and the streets more congested. He noted that with a deficit of 12 pazking spaces, traffic and circulation would be negatively impacted with the second-floor occupants coming in and out of the building. He added that he does not support in-lieu parking fees because it is a poor substitute for the lack of parking spaces. He indicated Planning Commission Minutes Page 5 June 24, 1998