Following up on a meeting that took place last month, Grand Marais city council met with two representatives of the Chamber of Commerce parking committee, Jim Boyd and Jeanne Spry on Wednesday, August 28 to discuss proposed changes to Chapter 70, the city’s traffic and parking ordinance.
When it first met, the parking committee was trying to come up with ideas to address concerns about the upcoming two-year Highway 61 project that will impact downtown Grand Marais and take away much of the street parking as the work is being done. But as Jim Boyd noted, once the committee began looking at the city ordinances drafted in the 1970s, it became apparent that it was time to update them, and they came up with the following ideas for the council to consider.
With a lack of storefront parking the parking committee suggested 15-minute parking zones. To set them up the city council, in consultation with downtown businesses, would establish a series of parking spots in the mixed-use and waterfront zones, designated by green curbing and appropriate signage, limited to a maximum of 15 minutes. Some of the spots mentioned for consideration were Sven & Ole’s, Java Moose, and the liquor store.
On parking RVs and vehicles with trailers downtown, the committee suggested that no person park an RV or a vehicle pulling a trailer on any street between the north side of Highway 61 and the harbor—except in the parking lot on Artist Point.
With limited parking in downtown Grand Marais, it has been noted that people who work for downtown businesses fill many of the prime parking spots.
Another change the group is proposing is to lengthen the time limit in downtown parking from 90 minutes to two hours to allow sufficient time for patrons to dine and shop.
With a lack of storefront parking the parking committee suggested having downtown workers park off-street in parking spaces that could be reserved for employees of downtown businesses along the fence in the Block 31 (city hall municipal lot) lot and on the south side of the Block 46 lot.
When asked how many employees might need parking spaces, Jim said he guessed there were 70-75. Those workers would be given stickers they would place on their vehicles, which would allow them to park in those lots.
City administrator Mie Roth said it sounded like a good plan but needed more thought before it could be applied because, he posed, “What if we give out more stickers to people than we have parking spots?”
Jeanne Spry, general manager of Joynes, noted that Joynes has off-street parking for employees, but noted not every business has that luxury. She pointed out that if a visitor can’t park they can’t shop and if they can’t shop, employees won’t get a paycheck, so it’s important to leave parking out front of a store available for shoppers.
On the issue of skateboards, roller-skate/rollerblades and bikes on sidewalks, Jim said he understood why people were riding on the sidewalks rather than on the very busy downtown streets. He said the committee was recommending changing the city ordinance and allowing bikers or skateboarders to use the city sidewalks with the exception of Wisconsin Street.
A big topic of the conversation centered on enforcement. Boyd said the business coalition advised, “Although the coalition is encouraged by the expressed desire of the city council to begin enforcing the regulations contained in the city code, the coalition also hopes the council will ease into enforcement rather than go from no enforcement to severe enforcement. Both visitors and residents have become conditioned to a lack of enforcement and will need time to adjust to change.”
Also discussed was vehicle owners who park with a motor running between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The parking committee advised, “No person will stop, leave standing or park a motor vehicle with the motor running within the city limits, whether attended or unattended for more than 20 minutes, unless when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic control device.”
Council agreed this has been a problem that needs to be addressed.
The downtown parking ordinances would be enforced from June 1 to November 1, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Council agreed that during the first year of any changes to the ordinance, warnings would be given before citations. As city administrator Mike Roth pointed out, all of that would have to be worked out with the Cook County sheriff’s office in the future.
As the conversation was wrapping up Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux thanked Jim and Jeanne for their input. Boyd responded by saying, “It’s easy for us to have ideas but you have to figure it out.”
City attorney Chris Hood will look at the suggestions from the parking committee and see if he can draft them into language for ordinances the council can consider.
Pharmacy alley improvement study
Council discussed making improvements to the alley behind Grand Marais Pharmacy because traffic has increased dramatically in the alley since the closing of the Arrowhead pharmacy in town.
With that, there has also been increased drainage issues, and trouble with driveway access.
The city has asked Brad Scott, LHB Inc. to conduct a feasibility study to identify necessary improvements and provide a cost estimate for those improvements. What’s being looked at right now is to grade the alley’s surface, pave the alley, install speed bumps, and improve the drainage in the alley.
Councilor Craig Schulte pointed out that a power line pole and hydrant that sit in the middle of the area between the pharmacy parking lot and alley would need to be removed, as well as the other power line poles in the very narrow alley. He also said it is very hard for large trucks to make the turn out of the alley on Fourth Avenue.
LHB has been hired to conduct design work on Fifth Avenue West (the old Gunflint Trail), and will be able to incorporate the alley entrance into that work.
Following completion of the feasibility study, adjacent property owners will be contacted to discuss the project scope and cost. Improvement could be completed next year before the highway project is being done in that area.
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