Town parking study supports developers wish list

During the August 8 planning board meeting, Carole Willis provided her review of the Parking Management Plan from the long anticipated parking study now complete.  The planning office expects the actual final plan to be updated on the town site in next few days on the planning page for public viewing.  Local businesses were highly critical of the parking study since it did not include surveys for business owners to provide feedback of parking needs when it asked residents to complete online surveys.

Ms. Willis stated in her commentary that ... “recommendations will have the effect of reinstating the bias toward excessive development that resident protest successfully removed from the originally proposed "Unified Land Use & Circulation Element." "  Some included are below:
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1.It recommends that Montclair’s growth centers allow all parking requirements be met through a Payment In Lieu of Parking (PILOP) option.
2.It recommends that via payment of a low one-time PILOP fee; the burden of building and maintaining parking spaces be greatly shifted to Township parking lots and to residential streets.  
3.It recommends a 50% reduction in the number of spaces that our Master Plan requires developers to provide.
4.It seeks to increase overnight street parking on streets classified as "Residential Street" and/or "Neighborhood Thoroughfare"; achieved via voting procedures whereby every apartment building on/near a said
5.Favors statement of parking space maximums. (Via conversion of minimums to maximums).

It was reported that Councilor Rich McMahon and former town manager, Marc Dashield hired the firm about 4 years ago to do the study. 

The completed parking study here (see page 42 for recommended strategies) is with the Council who once its on their agenda, will determine if any parts are accepted as town ordinances.  This is the time to voice opinions to your councilor prior to the study being reviewed by the Council possibly as early as August 23.