The city of Delaware has finalized the members on the Downtown Parking Advocacy Committee, or DPAC.
The advocacy group will address some of the 50 proposed changes of the implementation matrix that came out of a downtown parking study earlier this year.
“We divided the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee into 3 subcommittees,” said Kesley Scott, economic development specialist for the city.
Additionally, DPAC includes city staff members Jackie Walker, assistant city manager; Sean Hughes, economic development director; Bruce Pijanowski, police chief; John Donahue, fire chief; Don Claar; Scott; Dave Efland, planning director; and Bill Ferrigno, public works director.
Pijanowski will head the enforcement subcommittee with the following members: Delaware County Commissioner Jeff Benton, Holly Quaine, president of the Delware Area Chamber of Commerce; Scott Gordon; George Mantzoros, city planning commission member; and Pat Bailey.
Efland will head the signage subcommittee with the following members: Ed Lenane; Genti Koci, owner of Opa’s Tavern and Grill; Chris Devol; David Rader; and Bonnie Muncey.
Mains Street Delaware Executive Director Susie Bibler and Scott will lead the pedestrian experience subcommittee with the following members: Abbey Trimble of the Delaware General Health District; Mark and Terry-Lynne Smiles from the Greater Gouda; Steve Cianelli; Frank Barickman; and realtor Doug Price.
The city has identified that some of the proposed changes will require a substantial amount of input from the downtown community. The changes the advocacy group is expected to address are:
• Reassign 10-hour public lot and on-street meters to three hours or less in the downtown core. Remove 10-hour meters at Winter and Franklin Street lots, but possibly on outlying streets.
• Relocation of employee parking to the periphery of downtown, outside the core by establishing agreements with property owners whose lots may be regularly available. A public outreach effort will be needed to keep employees informed.
• Implement an update employee permit parking system that correlates with the relocation.
• Study the opportunity to implement three-hour parking along Sandusky Street with a higher rate for the third hour to encourage turnover.
• Negotiate shared public/private parking agreements with property owners who control lots adjacent to public lots.
