Policy Order O-12

WHEREAS: Community discussions about the scarcity of parking spaces in and around Central Square have been growing louder and more frequent as the City continues to develop in Central Square and surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS: While the City has been making admirable efforts to enhance the city's walkability, to improve the city's bike lanes, and to promote the utilization of public transportation, there remains a great and growing need to provide adequate parking for residents and commuters in Central Square and its surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS: While some have proposed mandating underground parking for new housing developments, and others have proposed finding incentives for new residents to abandon their vehicles, one idea that has not yet been adequately explored is the notion of expanding existing garage space to accommodate more vehicles; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate City personnel to determine and provide an update to the City Council on parking needs and availability in the Central Square area; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is also requested to confer with the appropriate City personnel to determine, as part of the broader question above, the cost and feasibility of adding additional parking levels to the Green Street Garage, to determine how many additional feet the garage could be expanded to as of right and how many extra parking spaces that would yield, and what changes, if any, would be needed to existing zoning laws in order to build the garage to its maximum capacity, and to report back to the City Council in a timely manner.