Poway City Council
Agenda Item 10. Public Hearing Monte Vista Road Project While I’m concerned that the City has not adequately considered the fact that this high density residential project is directly across the street from an elementary school, I do understand that the City’s hands are tied in what decisions the City can actually make about the project.
An area that the City can control is the parking for the facility and on Monte Vista Road.
The traffic study issued on August 23, 2023 did not address parking, other than state that parking is permitted on Monte Vista Road, and that some quantity of parking will be lost to provide proper site lines for use of the new facility’s entrance.
It is clearly evident to anyone who uses the street that virtually every parking spot is taken by 8:00am or 9:00am every weekday. As noted at the Neighborhood Meeting held on April 24, 2024, the project has the potential to further exacerbate the problem of limited street parking. There is nothing noted that either the City or developer took any action since the Neighborhood Meeting to address or even consider this potential.
The project will include 141 parking spaces, a number greater than is actually required by the Poway Municipal Code (PMC). While I did not attend the Neighborhood Meeting on April 24, 2024, I understand from the attendees and a City representative that it was stated at the meeting that facilities of this type typically have fewer autos per resident than most other apartment communities, and that with the excess spaces provided, the project should not have an impact on the street parking.
While that may be true, I don’t think the City or the current users of street parking can count on it.
Residents will have visitors who will require parking spaces. Residents may choose to park on the street rather than use the spaces provided in the complex. Both these users may choose to leave their autos on the street overnight, eliminating open spaces for the current users in the morning.
I recommend the following in order to reduce the potential for added parking issues:
1. The complex should be required to provide visitor parking within their parking complex, and that prominent signage should be displayed stating that visitor parking is available and that street parking is discouraged. Since the complex will have more spaces than required, and it was stated that complexes of this type often have fewer owner autos than typical apartment communities, there should adequate parking for the needs of both the residents and visitors.
Possibly, the spaces in excess of the PMC could be marked as visitor spots.
2. Prohibit night time parking on most of Monte Vista Road. I’d suggest no parking between 10:00pm and 6:00am between 12708 Monte Vista Road and Pomerado Road. I’ve checked the street a number of times between these hours and there is rarely an auto parked in this area.
This prohibition will eliminate autos being in the street spaces when the current users arrive in the morning.
Regards,
Daniel Krall