HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM V-AX Y OF ~
OBURN
WASHINGTON
Memorandum
To: Councilmember Lynn Norman,
Committee
Councilmember Nancy Backus,
Development Committee
Councilmember John Partridge
Development Committee
Chair, Planning & Community Development
Vice-Chair, Planning & Community
Member, Planning & Community
From: Chris Andersen, Environmental Protection Manager, and
Kim Truong, Development Review Engineer
CC: Peter B. Lewis, Mayor
Kevin Snyder, AICP, Planning and Development Director
Dennis Dowdy, PE, Public Works Director
Dennis Selle, PE, City Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director
Date: August 2, 2011
Re: Auburn Environmental Park Visitor Parking
At the Committee's regular meeting on August 8, 2011, staff will provide an informational
briefing to the Committee regarding visitor parking for the Auburn Environmental Park (AEP).
This memorandum provides a summary of the issue and additional information in advance of
the meeting. Please find attached the following exhibits:
• Exhibit A - AEP Boardwalk Alignment on Aerial Photo Background
• Exhibit B - AEP Parking Area Expansion Detail
On August 1, 2011, the City began construction on the AEP boardwalk trail project. The project
includes the construction of an approximately 1,200-foot pedestrian trail through the wetlands in
the southern portion of the AEP, the majority of which will be constructed as an elevated
wooden boardwalk. The boardwalk trail will provide a pedestrian connection between the bird
observation tower at Western Avenue NW and the existing sidewalk on the north side of West
Main Street.
In 2007, the City developed a Draft Auburn Environmental Park Master Plan. As part of that
plan, a parking area was envisioned on the west side of Western Avenue NW near the bird
observation tower. Currently, the dedicated parking for the AEP is in that location and consists
of a three-car gravel lot located in the vicinity of the bird tower. Environmental Services staff
have informally monitored use of the bird tower and parking area since late 2009, and have
found that the use of the parking area to this point has been relatively light (we almost never find
more than one vehicle in the parking area at any one time). In the future however, construction
of the boardwalk is expected to compliment and provide greater access to the bird tower, which
in turn is expected to create additional parking demand as the number of visitors to the AEP
increases.
As part of the design effort for the boardwalk, staff has identified a number of potential solutions
to address parking for the AEP as demand increases in the future. An initial parking facility
improvement is planned for construction concurrently with the boardwalk project, and a series of
other possible solutions have been identified for further evaluation. Concurrent with the
boardwalk project, the existing gravel parking lot on Western Avenue NW will be expanded to
the south to add four additional parking spaces. This would provide for a total of seven
parking spaces, including one (1) van accessible space. In addition, the expanded parking area
will include an area for bicycle racks. Expansion of the existing parking area will fully implement
the parking provisions shown in the Draft 2007 Master Plan.
In addition to expansion of the existing gravel parking lot, staff has identified a number of
potential parking solutions for further evaluation, which include but are not limited to:
• Establishing dedicated surface parking along the AEP frontage on the west side of
Western Avenue NW;
• Reconfiguring travel lanes and/or sidewalks on West Main Street to provide for surface
parking on the north side of the street;
• Establishing dedicated surface parking for the AEP at the north end of Lund Road SW;
• Providing directional signage on West Main Street to direct AEP visitors to the parking
area on Western Avenue NW or to the existing trailhead parking areas located adjacent
to the Interurban Trail on West Main Street; and
• Acquisition and development of additional property to provide an off-site parking area in
the vicinity of AEP entry points.
The potential solutions above would involve varying degrees of complexity and cost, and with
the exception of acquisition and development of a separate property to create an off-site parking
area, any of these could be accomplished concurrent with construction of the boardwalk project
subject to the availability of funding, or subsequent to construction of the boardwalk as
monitoring of AEP parking areas shows that additional parking capacity is required.
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