Palmer planning commission picks four goals from a parking study instead of adopting it

Palmer's Planning and Zoning Commission has picked four goals from a consultant's downtown parking and pedestrian study to recommend to the City Council, rather than adopting the report as written. On Aug. 20, commissioners settled on safer walking and biking downtown, accessible parking year-round, an event parking program and a downtown speed limit of 15 to 20 mph, according to the meeting's draft minutes.

The commission plans to send its priorities to the council in a resolution, since the council decides any parking changes. In September, commissioners put off choosing specific actions until more members were present, and the item was back on the Oct. 15 agenda.

The approach dates to July 16, when the commission voted unanimously to have each member review the study, by consulting firm RESPEC, along with a Palmer Chamber parking survey, and bring back priorities.

The commission requested the study about three years ago, and the City Council approved it. At the July meeting, one commissioner said, "This report is very frankly, not helpful at all." Vice Chair Linda Combs called a one-page Chamber survey handed out that night "much more valuable."

Three downtown business owners spoke against paid parking or shared public and private parking. Michelle Kincaid, owner of the Valley Hotel, pointed to Sandpoint, Idaho, one of the towns the study cites, where she said one shop's sales fell 75% after the town began charging $4 an hour after two free hours. Sherman Leifer, an owner of the Palmer Bar, said parking gets busy mainly during big events. "Let's not change it if it ain't broke," he said.

Mayor Jim Cooper urged commissioners not to discard the study, backing its ideas for pedestrian beacons, sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting. "We don't have a parking problem, we have a walking problem," Cooper said. He also opposed paid parking for the city.

Nathaniel Ouzts, the city's community development director, said the report was never meant to be adopted whole but to gather ideas for commissioners to choose from. He said it found that Palmer has an event parking problem, not a daily one.

At a Sept. 17 commission meeting on a downtown barbecue restaurant's parking variance, Cooper said the City Council had tried and failed to eliminate parking requirements citywide because businesses need them.