2026-09-21 - Government Operations Committee

00:00I'll go ahead and call to order, um,

00:02Commissioner Davenport asked me to chair

00:04this meeting. He's running late.

00:08It's about 12:08.

00:11Um,

00:13and

00:14we're going to go ahead and approve the

00:16minutes from the last meeting. Uh,

00:18somebody want to make a motion?

00:22I guess I'll second that motion. All in

00:24favor?

00:25>> I.

00:26>> Um, and we have one item on the agenda

00:29today. Um, we'll be talking about valet

00:32parking downtown. I believe we have a

00:35presentation on that.

00:41>> So, I think we all maybe had our fingers

00:43crossed that GSD would escape the rest

00:46of the year without a mayor's charge,

00:48but here we are.

00:51And if you'll go ahead and hop to the

00:52next slide.

00:53Um, so the charge is to work with staff

00:56and the Downtown Development Authority

00:57to develop valet areas and loading zones

01:00for off-peak hours. What we want to do

01:03today is just give you a lay of the

01:04land, talk a little bit about what those

01:06loading zones look like in practice

01:08downtown, and how some of them may lend

01:10themselves to a use like this, and and

01:12many don't.

01:13Uh, Angel will take us through um, peer

01:16community ordinance themes, kind of

01:18looking at what other communities have

01:20done with valet. ADA's here to give us a

01:23a brief update on public parking

01:25availability. And then really what we

01:27want to do today is hear from you, are

01:28you interested in moving forward in

01:30developing an ordinance, and if so, are

01:32there any unique provisions, or anything

01:33you want us to be attentive to as staff

01:36engages in that offer.

01:39So, we'll overview about loading zones

01:41right now. It's codified in ordinance.

01:44Um, it is for deliveries 30 minutes or

01:46less. They're designated in specific

01:49places downtown with the manager's

01:51discretion to modify those as needed.

01:54Uh, towing can happen uh, Uh at the

01:57discretion of PB.

01:59Couple of unique provisions. So, one is

02:02that hotel guests may use them for 10

02:04minutes. I assume that at some point

02:06there was a loading zone close to a

02:08hotel. I don't know if there actually

02:09still is.

02:11Um and there are specific loading zones

02:14that have a 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. no

02:17parking tow zone.

02:19And I don't actually know the genesis of

02:21that, if it was

02:23for access to infrastructure, public

02:25safety, or or what. But,

02:29moving on.

02:31So, in this map, the red areas are the

02:34designated loading zones downtown today.

02:38Um couple of things to note is that

02:41there are actually loading zones that

02:43exist that are not adjacent to the curb.

02:46Example would be kind of near alumna

02:48cookie dough on Thomas Street.

02:50Uh

02:51and on Washington, there's some kind of

02:54sections identified. And so, as we've

02:57thought about the ordinance charge,

02:59really that focus will be on those

03:01adjacent to a curb with the idea that

03:04probably it's not best to have a valet

03:05in the middle of the street where people

03:07are getting in and out.

03:10And so, we'll just take you through real

03:12quick the loading zones as you see here.

03:15So, here uh well,

03:17100 block of East Broad, you'll see near

03:19the Target. There's actually a fairly

03:21large loading zone. Does have a fire

03:24connection, although that's not Well,

03:25it's not an elimination factor, it is

03:28something that should be considered.

03:30Um and so, there's there could be some

03:32potential here. In this, you'll see that

03:34we've quantified the adjacent use, which

03:37is like the most the closest use, what

03:39fronts those loading zones. And then,

03:41proximate being those that would be on

03:43the same block,

03:44but uh kind of maybe adjacent to. So,

03:47they might not have the loading zone

03:48right up front. It might be kind of

03:50catty-corner, if you will.

03:52Uh

03:53100 block of East Broad as you come up,

03:55that's where you would think of a

03:57Chick-fil-A being today. So, that

03:58actually used to be a bus bay.

04:01It was swapped with a bus bay and

04:03loading zones were swapped a while back.

04:05Part of that was because it was being

04:07used as a de facto loading zone. So,

04:10because there was so much vehicle

04:11traffic, it was better to swap that bus

04:13bay forward.

04:15It also is rather large. So, to that

04:19degree, it lends itself to being in

04:22practice a loading zone as it exists

04:24today. That potential is probably pretty

04:26low because there is no um

04:29you know, dining or hotel or

04:32club type establishment nearby. It's

04:34it's mostly just beach casual

04:36restaurants.

04:37>> And we have checked with GDOT on that

04:39spot for EcoStation Andrew.

04:41>> Okay.

04:41>> Do you want me to interject real quick?

04:42So, Freddy has met with GDOT a while

04:44back. So, that's one of our potential.

04:46Now, that's just potential. So, it's not

04:49it's just one that we're looking at.

04:50>> Okay.

04:53200 block of East Broad is kind of where

04:56Starbucks used to be.

04:58And in practice, this one gets a lot

05:00more traction from your uh delivery

05:03drivers. So, your folks that are taking

05:05your Uber Eats and uh meals in and out

05:07of downtown.

05:09Um

05:10it also is fairly large, but right now

05:12lacks kind of an adjacent use. So, if

05:15you think about crafting an ordinance, a

05:17space like this or the one by

05:19Chick-fil-A,

05:20could be available as loading zones

05:22depending on what parameters we pick,

05:25but they are not likely to be adopted as

05:27loading zones in the near term. Uh as

05:30businesses change over time, perhaps

05:32that might change.

05:34400 block of East Broad, so the most

05:37notable thing here is that right now

05:39it's in front of uh UGA's kind of

05:41administrative spaces. And right now the

05:44adjacent use is retail. It's also pretty

05:47narrow. So, 30 ft is actually difficult

05:51to pull in more than one car.

05:54It's not completely infeasible, but

05:56the average parking space is 9 by 18.

06:00So, if you think about the length of

06:01parking spaces, it's only one and a half

06:02spaces.

06:04Moving on, Clayton.

06:06Little tiny guy hanging out here in

06:08front of that residential area. We would

06:09tell you it's not suitable as a valet.

06:13Two, going on to the next one.

06:15Uh East Washington, again now that

06:18there's the park and Costa also does not

06:20lend itself much for valet.

06:24One,

06:25another small one there by a plan board

06:27chocolates. Probably also does not lend

06:30itself to valet.

06:33200 block of Cole. So, this is Is this

06:37uh

06:38I don't know. We'll have to check

06:39throughout the meeting for the

06:405,000.

06:42>> Yeah.

06:43>> Uh

06:44so, this one is The biggest hindrance

06:46here is while it's probably in a good

06:47location, it also is at 20 ft. So, it's

06:51going to be a difficult place to to

06:53bring vehicles in and out, at least more

06:55than one at a time. So, possible use,

06:58but um

07:00not readily adaptable.

07:04200 block of Cole is better suited for

07:07this. So, you have around 60 ft of

07:09exposure. Um

07:11no fire connections. Any

07:13>> Yes, that's That's the second one on

07:15your list. Yes, the eco-station

07:17potential.

07:18>> So, there's no eco-station today, but

07:20there There was a There plans to

07:22potentially expand there. And so, um

07:26Suki

07:27if there's other sites, we'll get to

07:28that eco-stations. When we have

07:30eco-stations, it's not necessarily that

07:32they're incompatible, so we've got to

07:34think about like the amount of trucks

07:36coming in and out.

07:37>> Correct. Yeah. Yeah.

07:38>> So, we would require us to kind of craft

07:41around in the ordinance. And there could

07:42be places where there's an eco station

07:44that then creates some sudden

07:46feasibility at that particular location.

07:48>> Yeah. Yes. Yes. And then I guess that

07:50goes with say with some of our current

07:52eco stations. Some of them could be

07:53shifted, I guess, if we needed to.

07:56Not desirable, Andrew, but

07:59>> And there would be an expense to that.

08:02You'd have to be compensated for.

08:06Okay, moving on through downtown.

08:09Uh so, like Panera Bread, there's

08:11another fairly small one.

08:13Um it has, again, some potential at that

08:1730-ft mark. Now, I don't think at the

08:19moment Panera or the adjacent bar are

08:22going to be pushing for valet, but

08:25again, thinking about the long-term use

08:27of a tool like this, you potentially

08:29could have something in there.

08:31Um also noted,

08:34that's a one-way, is that correct?

08:35>> Yes.

08:36>> Yeah.

08:39>> 100 block of East Long Key. And so, this

08:41is

08:43So, this is actually perhaps This is a

08:45This is what was actually loaded in the

08:46conversation quite frankly. So, this is

08:49where they redeveloped Is it the Drake?

08:52>> Yeah.

08:53>> And then, as you head towards the what

08:56used to be the bank building, there's

08:57now a steak house.

08:59>> Oak.

09:00>> And

09:01>> Bourbon Club?

09:02>> Yes, Steak and Oak.

09:04>> So, [clears throat] this actually didn't

09:06used to all be the entire block was not

09:12The entire block was not a loading zone.

09:14They actually kind of petitioned for

09:17more of it to be a loading zone. I

09:18suspect that probably helped during some

09:20of the construction.

09:22Um they then have come and said, "Hey,

09:24we would really like to do valet." So,

09:26we do know that if you all recommend an

09:28ordinance and the commission adopts it,

09:30then probably is somebody interested in

09:32it.

09:33Uh and what That was when we said,

09:34"Well, Mayor, it's feasible, but there

09:37may be unintended consequences

09:39elsewhere. This would be a good idea for

09:41the committee to kind of workshop it a

09:43minute.

09:44Um, but it definitely has a lot of

09:47length and some demand that would likely

09:50result in that.

09:53So, 200 block along Canvas is beside

09:55Horton's and

09:58uh Nowhere Bar kind of headed down that

10:00way. So, what we see very prominently

10:02here is that there is a

10:06eco station present.

10:09Uh also, as it sits today,

10:13for a lot of that, there's not a

10:14business that faces it, but there could

10:16be. Uh we're seeing that a little bit on

10:19the Bettina's building where right now

10:21um

10:23on Jackson Street, there's not

10:24businesses facing that, but as they

10:26redevelop, there actually will be small

10:28retail spaces that are

10:30uh reinstituted there.

10:32Um before we leave this, Suki and

10:34Freddy, can you talk a little bit about

10:36So, these eco stations, how do the

10:38trucks come in and out of Stars Hollow?

10:41>> So, right now, like first uh part of the

10:43morning, we have one worker. He calls

10:46another one on the phone on the radio,

10:48and he meets him there, and they roll it

10:49out and the front loader comes through

10:51and dump it.

10:52>> Okay.

10:53>> And depending on which way he's coming

10:55from,

10:56the driver tell him way I'm coming from

10:58the west side or the the east part of

11:00it, and then that's the way he knows

11:02which way to turn when he get there.

11:04>> Okay.

11:04>> So, he dumps it,

11:06set it down, got to push back in. So,

11:08probably I drove

11:10less than what,

11:11about

11:12couple seconds.

11:13>> And that would typically happen in the

11:15travel lane itself. Yeah.

11:18All right, next.

11:20>> This is This goes to the point though

11:22right here and you're on the other side.

11:24Not These dumpsters aren't there today,

11:25but I think I mentioned just a special

11:27event, sometimes we put open tops here.

11:30This is a common area to put some

11:31open-tops for game day weekends and

11:33twilight.

11:36>> That's good to know.

11:40Uh

11:41at College in Clayton, there are

11:44actually loading zones on on either

11:46corner. So, this is the one near Wall

11:48Street.

11:49It has the odd white line next to the

11:53red lines.

11:54>> For a police van for their

11:57use at night. They park there and then

11:59uh

12:00all of them.

12:02They drop people

12:03off and they load in.

12:04>> And that's not

12:07>> [laughter]

12:08>> It's not all of them.

12:11>> And so, if you think about

12:14the charge, the charge is to use loading

12:16zones in off-peak times. They'll talk

12:19about that in a minute, but um in this

12:21case, this off-peak time adjacent to the

12:24loading zone on the use at least on

12:29uh

12:30Thursday, Friday, Saturday night.

12:32Um and so, this would be a place where

12:34you might need to think about it in an

12:35ordinance. Maybe we don't make this

12:38particular space available

12:40for um

12:42valet.

12:44Uh across the street, there's another

12:46small one.

12:48>> I can't remember what business is going

12:50on over there.

12:51>> The bar.

12:52>> The bar, okay.

12:55>> Um and then, the Fred building is up the

12:57hill a little bit. So, again,

13:00some mild potential there, but not right

13:02now necessarily interpreted with those

13:05adjacent users. I don't I don't know if

13:06we're going to have a bar that's doing

13:08valet service, but

13:09perhaps we're being classy.

13:13Um moving on.

13:15Uphill a little bit. So, just below the

13:18Portland there is another fairly large

13:20loading zone. This one does get some use

13:22by PD uh during different times of the

13:25day. And most notably, there is no

13:28adjacent business here that would make

13:29use of it, similar to that one by the

13:31Costan building.

13:35And city hall, also no adjacent use

13:37unless we're going to get real bougie

13:39for our voting meetings.

13:45And then this is that Tina's building.

13:48So, again,

13:51fairly large. Now, this one has an eco

13:53station. Is this city is this another

13:55example of where we would stage?

13:57>> Yep, this picture was taken when we had

13:59staging there for some event.

14:02Cuz the eco station is behind that green

14:04enclosed roll-off.

14:07>> And so, not to put you too much on the

14:09spot, but

14:10those events happen, and do we do it on

14:13game days as well?

14:15>> Yes.

14:16>> Okay.

14:17And

14:18um those happen

14:20So, let's say big events and game days,

14:2210 to 12 events per year, perhaps?

14:25>> 10 to 12.

14:27>> If the ordinance was crafted where

14:30it could be used as a valid alley when

14:33not being used in this manner, would it

14:35still meet solid waste needs?

14:39>> I think so.

14:39>> I think so.

14:43>> Um and so, some of that really depends

14:45on what uses come into that those small

14:47commercial spaces. And then getting

14:50towards the end of the last 300 block of

14:52Jackson, so this is

14:55uh the Georgian building around the

14:57side. Um right now, I don't know if

15:00there's actually a commercial use in

15:02that portion of the building. I think

15:04it's an overflow event space.

15:08Um

15:08potentially could be used just if there

15:11was demand, but

15:13don't know if there's anything on site

15:15that would be a catalyst for that now.

15:18Okay.

15:20>> We me discussed that one as a site, a

15:22potential site for an eco station,

15:24Andrew.

15:24>> Oh, yeah. And so, with it only being 30

15:26ft, if we did slot an eco station there,

15:29then there we may not even have a

15:30loading zone at that point, right?

15:33>> Correct.

15:34>> Okay.

15:39Uh

15:40So, Wall Street,

15:43uh the entire block here, there next to

15:45Mellow Mushroom, again,

15:48lots of linear space here.

15:50What you don't have at the moment are

15:53as a business that fronts it. So, uh I

15:56guess you could see a world where um

15:59Mellow Mushroom or a different business

16:01wants to do a valet service,

16:03and they're willing to facilitate that

16:05interaction at the side. So, there's

16:08some potential, it's just not

16:09necessarily like a slam dunk.

16:12Um you you'd have to think through those

16:14operations a bit.

16:17>> And then, the only issue there is

16:18there's a lot of roll carts. So, we've

16:20talked about not necessarily eco

16:21station, but enclosing them nicely cuz

16:23it's This picture does not I don't know

16:26when it was taken, but there are a lot

16:28more roll carts there than in this

16:29picture.

16:32>> But, we thought about putting an eco

16:33station more down toward the end of the

16:35>> He did have Wall Street.

16:37>> Okay.

16:37>> So, it wasn't on here, but we could do

16:39it. Yeah. I did that. So.

16:43>> So, we really have

16:45from your old standing point, three

16:48potential sites that are of some desire

16:51to become future eco station supports,

16:53so that space near Chick-fil-A,

16:56space adjacent to the Georgian building,

16:59and then Wall Street.

17:02Um

17:03In some cases, like those first two,

17:06having an eco station expanded there

17:09probably prohibits

17:11or

17:12significantly minimizes the available

17:16the of space for LA.

17:18On walk, I think it would just kind of

17:20depend on where we cited something,

17:23whether it be 200 ft.

17:25>> Yes.

17:28So, in summary, there is one very high

17:30potential site.

17:32Um and that's based off of the site

17:34characteristics and adjacent uses, and

17:37that's the 100 block of Lumpkin.

17:40And then you go to the next slide, there

17:41are seven what we would say are kind of

17:44moderate fish potential sites.

17:47Um

17:50and notably,

17:52um with these moderate potential sites,

17:54there are some things that'll need to be

17:56navigated around sanitation.

18:00Um and so, that really kind of gives you

18:01the context that if you write an

18:03ordinance, depending on how you craft

18:05it, it's going to serve

18:08probably between three and seven spaces

18:10downtown.

18:12Um and then, it would depend, much like

18:15our other um things like parklets,

18:18it would depend on those businesses to

18:21be willing to

18:23um

18:24pay for the the use of that public

18:26space, pull permits, and do the design

18:29and the operations that would make for a

18:31uh

18:32smoothly operating valet that then is

18:35still maintaining access to things like

18:37ADA

18:38um sidewalks, and

18:40making sure that we're still getting

18:41sanitation and emergency vehicles in and

18:43out of downtown.

18:45Uh with this, I'm going to let ABA share

18:48a little bit real quick about downtown

18:50parking.

18:52Which is

18:54>> [laughter]

18:55>> So, um I'm sure most of you know, we

18:57manage basically three categories of

18:59parking, and two decks and on-street

19:01parking. We have two lots now. And we um

19:06we don't have any any available space. I

19:10mean, of course you wouldn't want a

19:12valet parking on street because that

19:13takes the customers

19:16Um customer parking away.

19:18Um in the decks um

19:21when the Georgia Theater lets out for

19:23example, it may be you may be in the

19:25deck 30 minutes or 45 minutes and that's

19:28not going to be compatible

19:30in the lots, we might have space in the

19:33evenings, but then if someone had taken

19:35Uber home, then the next morning they

19:40run the risk of

19:41you know, being towed and then also on

19:43game days and and special event days

19:46just like with the Assault Lights, those

19:49lots are filled.

19:51So, um but we don't we don't really have

19:53any space available.

19:57>> And a little quick note,

19:59um the

20:00courthouse parking deck is mixed. So, it

20:06with the ordinance being drafted in

20:08off-peak hours

20:10uh

20:11interpreted to be in the evenings and

20:13nights,

20:14uh there is some space there. What you

20:17lack in the courthouse to some degree is

20:19proximity to these other spaces that

20:21we've talked about. So, you might be

20:23able to make something happen in Wall

20:24Street,

20:25but you're probably not it's not going

20:27to be any use to um

20:30down on Lumpkin, right? Cuz now you're

20:32multi-blocks away and

20:35So, one of the things that we really

20:37want to be noted here is that if you all

20:41um develop an ordinance

20:44the availability of public parking to

20:46support that use is pretty limited.

20:49It could be that the ordinance is

20:51developed that off-site private parking

20:54agreements can be arranged where those

20:57resources exist.

20:59One of the things we would want to

21:00caution is that if you do that

21:02we will need to have the planning

21:04department involved because in some of

21:06those instances, those lots

21:08have uh thresholds that have been

21:11applied for the adjacent for the

21:12development that they host if they host

21:14one. So, for example, if you're a hotel

21:18and you have some parking available,

21:20that's great.

21:21But, you can't then lease out all of

21:23that space to these ancillary uses

21:26because we know that there's a certain

21:28amount of space that's needed for your

21:29kind of base operations.

21:32It's not unprecedented, so we encounter

21:34this a lot.

21:35Um and like the Village Avenue area,

21:37it's not uncommon that there be off-site

21:39parking agreements for some of those

21:42developments. And we do also encounter

21:44it a bit downtown. So, we talked about

21:46that Tina's building being redeveloped.

21:49Interestingly enough, their parking,

21:51they've secured some agreements for use

21:53and the hotel deck. But, in that case,

21:56planning staff reviewed that deck and

21:58realized that there was that capacity

22:00that could be sold. And so, at that

22:02point, it becomes a business

22:03transaction. We don't We don't get

22:05involved in what you what they're

22:07charging each other or all that. We just

22:09need to know is it available and

22:11um can the person who's giving it up if

22:15give it up and still be code compliant.

22:18Um all right. And then, Angel, so you've

22:21looked at other communities. What have

22:23we found from that?

22:25>> Yes. Um and the cities that I've looked

22:27into are are following on this sheet

22:28here, but um in the ones I looked at,

22:31there were no specific operating hours

22:33listed. Um they generally require some

22:36combination of the permitting and

22:37agreements, designated drop-off and

22:39pick-up locations, proof of

22:42adequate off-street vehicle storage

22:45because all of the ones that I reviewed,

22:47they weren't using a deck and they

22:49weren't using off-street. They had to

22:51have a private property somewhere to

22:53store the vehicles.

22:54Um they had to have insurance They had

22:56operational safety standards and um then

22:59they had to pay the fees, of course. And

23:00the fees range all over the place. If

23:03they're using curb space, then they were

23:04charged by the linear foot for the curb

23:07space they use.

23:09Um in some areas they did allow them to

23:11like drop off and pick up in maybe a

23:13parking space, and so they had to pay by

23:15the year for that parking space, which

23:17we already heard from AT&T that they

23:19don't have that space available. Um

23:22I

23:23Some things that I've noticed were like

23:25in looking at Andrew's standards and

23:27about moderate and high

23:29is the size of the sidewalks. Um because

23:32most valet parkings, I would think, are

23:33going to have their little booth or

23:35something, and if ADA requires a 5-ft

23:38minimum for, you know, ADA access, so I

23:42don't know in which of these areas the

23:43sidewalk is larger than 5 ft or where

23:45they make it get off the sidewalk into

23:47the private property, but I think that's

23:49something that we have to look at to

23:51Um another thing that that was listed in

23:54some of the ordinances was that they

23:55didn't want the vehicle, like the car

23:57doors to open into a traffic lane. Um I

24:00mean, we do allow that in some places

24:02downtown. Like, if you parallel park out

24:03here, you're basically opening into a

24:05into a drop lane, um but that's

24:07something to consider uh for safety.

24:10Um I feel confident from all these

24:13ordinances and everything that we've

24:14discussed here that we can put together

24:16a draft ordinance for Athens if that's

24:17the way that y'all decide to go.

24:19Um

24:21do y'all have any questions or anything?

24:23Oh, there is a limit on cuz I know

24:25Andrew mentioned earlier about

24:27possibly like 30 minutes, I think, in

24:29the for pick up and deliveries. Um in

24:32most of the ordinances I went through,

24:34there was like a 10-minute limit that a

24:35valet car could be there and then it had

24:37to be moved.

24:39Um so, I don't know. I mean, that of

24:41course depends on how the police can

24:43handle that. Do they have the staff to

24:44keep up with that? I don't know.

24:47>> Um

24:48okay. So, moving to the next slides,

24:51I have a little just things to consider

24:53as we talk about next steps.

24:55One is we talked about the application

24:58of ordinances limited, but that doesn't

25:00mean that

25:02may not still be a useful tool for kind

25:04of enhancing business and visitor

25:06experience downtown.

25:08We at this point what we see with the

25:10downtown public parking resources that

25:13it's going to depend highly on private

25:16agreements. So, being able to take a uh

25:19spaces that are otherwise

25:22uh held

25:23uh in private lots.

25:26Thinking about the charge of peak hours

25:28and off-peak off-peak probably

25:30reasonably is kind of 6:00 to 6:00, so

25:326:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., which means it

25:35would be applicable for dinner and

25:36evening events.

25:38Uh before that then these spaces are

25:40being used for attorneys. Uh and then

25:44it's not unprecedented that you would

25:45have some deliveries outside of that

25:47window. In this case, if there was some

25:49valet then the idea would be that they'd

25:51have to go use an an adjacent space.

25:54Um

25:55And so, one of the questions just

25:57generally is are you all interested in

25:59moving forward with an ordinance having

26:02staff craft an ordinance that would uh

26:05kind of put this tool into play

26:06downtown.

26:08And if you are, are you comfortable

26:11requiring off-site parking agreements?

26:13It doesn't have to say that it must be

26:14off-site, but I think it needs to be

26:16clear

26:18that we don't have a public resource

26:20that's widely available at this point in

26:22our in our downtown. And then we kind of

26:25what

26:26items would you want us to take into

26:28consideration? What would be things that

26:30would be important to you all that would

26:33make this seem like a it was a good

26:35addition to our downtown operations or

26:38no, that that didn't work out like we'd

26:40intended.

26:41>> Um

26:42I have thoughts, but I want to hear from

26:44y'all

26:46>> My idea is this works fine.

26:49>> It's supposed to be just from the drink.

26:51>> Oh.

26:52>> The hotel they used to be there is I'm

26:54going to stop saying this.

26:56>> Yeah, I mean maybe maybe I'll put it

26:58into the

26:59The request came

27:01from the development there near the

27:04Drake and coming up. So it's a

27:05steakhouse, the housing, and a private

27:08club. I don't I can't remember I don't

27:10know if I probably might have which

27:12particular entity was asking cuz it came

27:15it came through a a development

27:16representative.

27:18And then it went to the mayor and we

27:20just said, "Well, there would be no

27:21ordinance there if we needed

27:22>> Yeah.

27:23>> So

27:27>> I mean I think honestly see

27:29that particular business I've benefiting

27:32from it because of the location. Um

27:35being on the edge, but yeah, the the

27:38unintended consequences are like maybe a

27:41traffic jam maybe.

27:43Or and I know they have that side street

27:46by Little Italy's, but will that not

27:50kind of slow up traffic maybe you think?

27:53And I and I know it's going to be like

27:54kind of off street, so it won't

27:56necessarily

27:58mess with the incoming traffic so to

27:59speak, but I guess it would be something

28:02to look at.

28:03>> I mean I think similar to if it was

28:06parallel spaces

28:08and we do have TPW here and needed.

28:12You're going to be having people come in

28:13and out of the travel lane and so that

28:15does create

28:17some potential to change just kind of

28:20just traffic operations

28:23where um it could to your point slow

28:25things down.

28:27Also you just have to be used to it, but

28:29arguably those things exist right now

28:31with no examples.

28:32>> Yeah.

28:34>> It depends on how popular.

28:36>> Yeah, it is.

28:38And I think a lot of you probably saw

28:41>> So if you saw you know, one way street

28:43income what they did in there. You might

28:46have a for eight vehicles and not going

28:48to be a speed there anymore.

28:49>> Uh-huh. It might draw, you know, going

28:51to go on the Broad Street.

28:55>> What do you mean?

28:56>> Valet.

28:56>> Yeah.

28:58I mean, I this this whole thing gives me

29:00heartburn. I I can see it being a

29:02clustered boondoggle. Um

29:04>> [laughter]

29:04>> I mean, I you know, I lived through the

29:07conversation about where to put the Eco

29:08Stations. Our on-street spaces downtown

29:12are few and far between. We don't have

29:15alleys like a lot of towns do. I really

29:18think we should be working those into

29:19our planning code to require alleys,

29:21especially downtown. Um but that ship

29:24sailed a long time ago.

29:26Um I just What what I could see

29:31Um I mean, if you honestly right now, if

29:32you don't want to walk a couple blocks

29:34to get to your favorite restaurant,

29:37you know, there's the option of taking

29:38an Uber and getting I don't see the need

29:41for valet parking in this day and age

29:43when, you know, you have those ride

29:45shares so available.

29:46Um but I could see coming up with a a

29:49centralized pick-up drop-off location,

29:52possibly even right here at City Hall

29:54where we have the little old bus little

29:58bus ticket office right there. Um

30:02And making that kind of a centralized

30:04drop-off and, you know, folks could

30:07get valet licensing to put up their own

30:09booth in that area, and it could be a

30:11centralized Uber drop-off area, too, to

30:14avoid some of this

30:16cluster drop-off going on downtown. Um

30:20I mean, I could see us going in that

30:22direction toward a more centralized

30:24location that could be available to

30:26anyone. Um you know, right now, you

30:28know, the only place that's really

30:29feasible is that that um Lumpkin Street

30:32area. That's not fair to other

30:34businesses that might want to partake.

30:37Um

30:38So, yeah, I just I just don't see

30:41this moving forward in in this current

30:44iteration, but

30:46I'd be willing to discuss, you know, the

30:48development of a centralized drop-off

30:50space that could be kind of used for by

30:53a lot of entities.

30:54And yeah, people still have to walk a

30:56couple blocks, but

30:57at least you won't have to

30:59wander through the decks and park your

31:00car.

31:03>> Yeah, that's

31:05I'll get

31:06all the businesses downtown we have

31:08right there.

31:09I mean,

31:10how they maybe use it, you know, and we

31:12just talk about one entity.

31:14I'm really sure I'm on board with this

31:16the third one entity I think.

31:19Everybody that's sh- operational and

31:22knowing that folks who have invested in

31:25that operation, I don't know

31:28downtown is how it's been

31:30how they would really work.

31:32I mean, my personal opinion, I think I

31:34just think I like Melissa's idea about

31:37having a central drop-off place, but

31:39over

31:40you know, the drop-off and valet, but

31:42I don't think valet would work.

31:44Now,

31:45one of the best plans that we ever had

31:47in the table, you know,

31:49we had the Olympics. That's probably the

31:51best parking plan is channel that

31:52street.

31:54You know, I always think about game day

31:56starting to do stuff we need to

31:57privatize some of the game day parking.

32:01And again,

32:02how do you get the patrons from those

32:04private parking deals

32:07downtown and then back? So, it is

32:11if you could figure that one out,

32:12that would be great. People who use

32:14other drivers, you know, I mean, if some

32:16of the churches use their space

32:18for parking game day

32:20and stuff. So,

32:21if we can work that out with private

32:25entities,

32:26but again, somebody got to figure out,

32:27okay, the parking garage, how we get the

32:29patrons to, you know, their car back and

32:32and location, how far away that is. So,

32:35I just don't think the way I'm going

32:37downtown is shaped

32:39be feasible to

32:40that way. But unless you go to private

32:43entities, I'll stand downtown then they

32:45have to figure out how you get the I

32:47think that will work.

32:48>> Yeah, I mean I kind of wonder where do

32:49people hang out while they're waiting

32:51for their cars, you know? Our sidewalks

32:53aren't that wide. Is is it fair to clog

32:56the sidewalks with people hanging out

32:58waiting for their cars and sticking a

33:00booth on the sidewalk? I I just

33:03I mean I feel like, you know, the kind

33:05of businesses that do valet parking, you

33:07know,

33:09you want to be that kind of entity,

33:11maybe you shouldn't locate downtown.

33:13This is a diverse community and it's

33:15supposed to be like available to all. Um

33:19I just don't think downtown is conducive

33:22to that kind of operation.

33:25>> Well, I'll

33:26>> [laughter]

33:27>> Well, I'll say my question is will

33:29>> Are you trending towards like a pass

33:32with no action or is there something

33:34specific specific that you're staff is

33:36following?

33:37>> I I feel that way, but I also feel like

33:39ADA could, you know, if if you want to

33:43come to us with a proposal for a more

33:46centralized,

33:47you know, broader, shared pickup

33:50drop-off space, we could have that

33:52conversation down the line. I mean that

33:54would be something that ADA could

33:56discuss among themselves and

34:00you want to trend in that direction, but

34:02for now I'd say pass this without

34:04action.

34:05>> Yeah. Yeah. I absolutely agree that that

34:07is that is not that is not conducive.

34:12Just coming out of town, I've seen in

34:14the way I am

34:15they got space all around and you do on

34:17valet parking and you load somewhere

34:20else or you have to and even if private

34:22dance and they got but it's just tough

34:24to do it here.

34:25>> Yeah.

34:25>> Downtown you can't you don't have space.

34:29>> Well, I'd I'd say y'all are kind of

34:31echoing some of what conversation with

34:35staff was like, which is in many places

34:38downtown. This is a square peg in a

34:40round hole.

34:41Um

34:44And so

34:47you know, there's

34:49many examples uh

34:52bars, restaurants, hotels, other

34:55businesses being successful downtown at

34:57all hours of the day without this tool.

35:00Not to put y'all on the spot, but is

35:02there a motion associated with it? Are

35:05y'all comfortable with that?

35:08>> I'd like a motion to go forward.

35:10>> I'll I'll move to pass with no action.

35:12>> Second.

35:18>> All in favor?

35:27>> All right. Well, with that, a report

35:28will be prepared for the commission, and

35:31uh we'll see if the mayor sends any more

35:33things.

35:53I don't know how I would keep up if I

35:55wouldn't have brought it.

35:59>> I knew now I just have to try to get it

36:01on the

36:02agenda tonight.

36:09>> I listen.

36:18>> They may freeze.

36:22>> They're like the boys.

36:27>> I would have passed my test if

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