3AAGENDA ITEiVI #3A
OCTOBER 27, 2003
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM: 10`h Street Pazking
SUBMITTED BY: Jim Hanson, Citv Mat`~_ ~
DATE: October 16, 2003
BACKGROUND: Staff was asked to provide options to solve the longstanding pazking
complaints in the east end of 10`s Street adjacent to the Island Club
Townhouses. No private parking has been available to the owners of these
townhouses since 1979 when they were converted from an apartment
complex. Public on-street parking is available adjacent to the townhouses.
However, residents sometimes find it difficult to find a pazking place
particulazly during the weekends in the summer when the beaches are
relatively crowed. Some of the townhouse owners have asked the City on
many occasions over the last 10+ yeazs for the City to restrict the public
pazking so that they will always have a place to pazk adjacent to their
townhouses.
There are two issues that limit the city's ability to grant this request. The
first is that public property should not be given away for private use and
the second is an obligation to County, State and Federal governments to
maintain beach access (which includes pazking) in exchange for funding
for beach renourishment and lifeguazds. There are solutions to these
limitations although each would require the cooperative participation of
several homeowners/residents in Atlantic Beach.
Many ideas were proposed over the yeazs to provide for exclusive parking
of townhouse owners and residents in these spaces. The most viable was
proposed in 1998 where the owners or residents ofthe townhouses could
lease the pazking places from the city in an amount of $500/ year per
space. Staff estimated the value of the spaces after checking lease rates
for parking gazages in the downtown Jacksonville. Undoubtedly there are
other ways to establish a value of a pazking space close to the beach,
although there can be no question that it has significant value. When this
option was presented in a Commission meeting in 1998, the townhouse
owners objected to paying for the pazking places. Consequently, the City
Commission declined to take any action. The lease alternative is still a
viable solution, but it will require the financial participation of the
owners/residents of the townhouses. If a group of the owners/residents
would like to meet to discuss the details involved in leasing the spaces,
then staff would be more than happy to work with them.
AGEYDA ITEM #3A
OCTOBER 27, 2003
The second issue deals with the provision of beach access. Atlantic Beach
has an obligation to maintain adequate beach pazking. One obligation is to
the Federal government that provides beach renourishment funds. When
this issue came up in 1998, city staff was instructed to request an opinion
from the Corps of Engineers. A copy of a letter from Richazd Bonner
dated September 22, 1998 is attached. It explains the Corps approval to
substitute new parking places to replace those that would ba reassigned for
private use. The best way to find alternate pazking within a short distance
of the 10`h Street beach access would be to survey the obstructions on the
public right-of--way placed by homeowners and require their removal so
that the street side parking can again be utilized by the general public.
This was done several years ago by a committee of citizens and staff. Over
80 pazking places were "reclaimed" through this process.
BUDGET: There would be several costs to the City if the pazking places were
restricted. Hopefully, the cost of the signage, legal costs to prepaze and
administer the leases and any enforcement cost would be more than offset
by the revenue the City would receive from leasing the parking places.
RECOMMENDATION: Check with the owner/residents of the Island Club Townhouses to see if
they aze now interested in the lease of pazking places from the City. If so,
then staff can begin to explore with them various options. If they are not
interested then no further action is needed by the City.
ATTACHMENT: Letter of September 22, 1998 from Richazd Bonner to James Jazboe
AGF,NDA ITEM #3A
OCTOBER 27, 2003
DEPARTMENT OFTHE ARMY
JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS OF ENGINEERS
P. 0. BOX 4970
JACKSONVILLE, FLOROL132232-0019
REPLY TO SEP 2 2 1998
ATTENTION OF
Programs and Project Management Division
Project Management Branch
Mr. James R. Jarboe
City Manager
City of Atlantic Beach
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233-5800
Dear Mr. Jarboe:
This is in response to your letters dated August 26, 1998,
and September 3, 1998, regarding the Duval County shore
protection project. As we discussed during our September 21,
1998, telephone conversation, the city of Atlantic Beach will
identify parking spaces available for public use in the area of
10th Street. It is our understanding that the city will
substitute new public parking spaces that will replace those
reassigned for private use. Based upon this information, there
is~no need for a survey of available public parking since there
is no change anticipated to be warranted in the Federal cost
sharing for the project.
If you have any questions or need additional information,
please contact Mr. Charles Stevens at 232-2113.
Sincerely,
~~~~
Richard E. Bonner, P.E.
Deputy District Engineer
for Project Management
Copies Furnished:
Dr. Alfred B. Devereaux, Chief, Bureau of Beaches and Coastal
Systems, Department of Environmental Protection,
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., Mail Stop 300, Tallahassee, Florida
32399-3000
Ms.~ Kay Lanier, 95 10th Street, Atlantic beach, Florida 32205