Building & Streets - Theresa assigned this issue to DPW Director- Pat

I did speak with Mr. Curtis on 12/04/18 on the bench issue at the Cliff's coffee shop at 38 Congress St. Mr. Curtis said he was going up that way and would check on this issue.

I would like this facility to be made permanent. As a parking space it can only be used by one person at a time. As a parklet it can be used by many people, including children, the disabled, seniors, etc.

Other cities have made these facilities permanent and they are very popular. There is an abundance of on-street parking in The Heights and very little public/park space. That's what this space is for. It is not part of the restaurant. It is open to the general public.

Anthony, there is absolutely not an abundance of on-street parking in the Heights. As someone who has to park in the Heights nearly every day, there is a decided difference in space scarcity even compared to just a couple years ago. It’s already hard to park in this area- the last thing we need is less space to do so.

The parklet helps regulate a dangerous area where speeders have killed and hurt people.

There is plenty of parking. Every block of every street has parking up and down the block. I park there every single night. It isn't easy but it is doable.

What isn't easy is finding a park or place to sit on the sidewalk.

1 parking space for a single car versus a park for 10 people. It's easy math to do.

Cosmo, I think the all-way stop sign at Congress and New York does more for traffic than a parklet on the side of the road

Anthony, then you clearly don’t visit my block, where if I find a spot at night it’s like finding a unicorn. And while I do end up parking on other streets, I usually am fortunate enough to snag one of just a couple of spots left. Again, the population in this area that owns cars has exploded over just the last couple years- I am hopeful that the city’s new enforcement of the residential zone in the Heights will lead to a greater amount of space. Until then, we need all the space we can get.

Concerned (about parking) Citizen, there is plenty of space for parking in the Heights. Every single street has parking on both sides. There is more parking than sidewalks. There are even cars blocking curbside with the so-called driveways. There is no single bench in the whole neighborhood. It should stay. They should put more.

Concerned (about parking) Citizen, as you stated "the population in this area that owns cars has exploded over just the last couple years." This is a huge part of the problem. Why do people who own cars think that it's the responsibility and obligation of the city government to provide them with cheap public space to store all their cars when they're not in use? The sense of entitlement by car owners is so engrained into our society that we see this outrage from people like yourself when a single parking space is converted from a storage space for someones private vehicle to a "parklet" for lots of people who live in that neighborhood. How about we convert more public parking spaces to spaces for storing cars that can be shared by multiple households and eliminate the need for all these new residents to own individual cars. I personally know people who wish Zip cars were readily available in the Heights so that they could eliminate from their lives all the costs and hassle of personal car ownership. You want to see parking spaces become more available in your area? How about we raise the price of a parking permit to it's true value.

I agree with Anthony. Why do cars have the last say. It's always about 'us', the cars. let pedestrians have some space.

As a visitor to JC I have marveled at the use of street seating and the pedestrian mall (closed street) to create a more livable city. Really wonderful look for the city!

The CitiBike stations and the few "parklets" around the city probably take up less than one half of one percent of total "parking" space. Probably less than one quarter of one percent. The CitiBike station on Congress was already moved from Ogden to where it is now because people on Ogden complained it took up a parking spot. While we are at it, let's just pave over Riverview Park and make it a giant parking spot! Heck, build a 5 story parking garage on Riverview Park. Why not! And the Parklet in front of the Cliff is a nice thing. And it's ONE! It's not like they are on every block. Needless to say, the parketlet should stay, and the CitiBike station should stay, in my opinion. Yes, there are problems with parking in the Heights but it;s not solved by moving a CitiBike station. We need more - and not less - means for people to move around other than cars.

While this bench is a great idea, because it is outside of a cafe, I imagine the average passerby would assume it is part of their place and NOT for public use. This seating doesn't actually add a park, and it takes up a parking space. Whereas not everyone has a car, those who do might need them for work that is located off the mass transit link. Until we have food markets more readily available throughout the heights, cars are the only way some people are able to shop for food. A neighborhood is a collection of people with varied needs. Good government should try to strike a balance in meeting those needs.

Lynn,

To address your points:

1. There is a sign indicating the park is open to the public.

2. I agree the seating is not adequate. There should be more amenities. Parklets in other cities have other furniture that makes them much more useful.

3. Parking policy for the Heights has changed to discourage car commuters from using streets for day parking to get on the light rail. So people should not be storing their cars on our streets while they commute to jobs elsewhere.

4. I don't understand the comment about food markets... are you saying we should reserve parking so people can -drive- to the bodega on the corner of Palisade? I don't see how that is a good idea. That is a busy corner with 10 bus lines and 1000 customers in a 2-block walk. No one, especially the business owner, expects customers to drive there.

5. How is adding one parklet not trying to strike a balance? Every other curb spot on every other block in the neighborhood is used for parking. This is ONE spot. Can't we just try to make it work... it could benefit so many people if it succeeds. If its used as parking, it serves one person each day. One single person.

Thinking about this a little more -- I think people would be more inclined to welcome the parklet if it actually was usable. The current setup doesn't produce much benefit. See what other cities have done here - https://tinyurl.com/y8jopphb

The problem is, I don't expect the city to pick up the slack here. It is up to the community to decide how to 'finish' this space off and use it going forward--if indeed it can remain. It would be a shame for it to fail. I think in the long run, if it were more successful, people would see the loss of one parking space as a small price to pay, but I do see how in its present form its hard to see the value.

How about the installation of good old fashioned park benches on the sidewalks in the neighborhood? Example: The sidewalk across the street from this parklet is tree-lined. It would be a nice place to rest AND not take up a parking space.

Anthony, my response was a more general response to many of the issues that other people had raised in the comments.

I like the parklet in front of the Cliff. I disagree, though, with the idea that parking is a personal responsibility and not one of our elected officials. Elected officials make all the decisions about the use of public space, so, help the people out by creating parking garages that serve many people, and multi-use purposes. Why can't they build a parking garage that has an amazing rooftop for recreation? a grass field? a public pool? an ice rink? all sorts of community amenities could be created around parking garages, AND, solve the problem of congested parking in the heights. this one parklet is NICE. the cliff doesn't use it likes it's an extension of their cafe. the abandoned commercial business building next to the cliff has a "driveway" that eliminates a parking space. go after that space and free IT up for public use.

FYI- The Parklet has been removed.

The Parklet has been removed from the street.

This project ends as it started -- without explanation, proper support, or notice. The parklet appeared, without any amenities to really activate, any explanation to the neighborhood what it was for or why it was located where it was located, how long it would be there, and so on. Some people liked it--but wanted it to be more useful. Some people didn't and didn't understand why it was there, because well, no one explained it to them or demonstrated why it was / could be valuable to them.

What could have been a great experiment for the community instead basically leaves a ton of people @#$% off and confused. What a lost opportunity. I hope next time the city can either staff or recruit community volunteers to do the legwork to make these kinds of tactical projects effective.

Thank you