Downtown Walking Tour Evaluates Transportation Problems

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Fairhope, Alabama


Burden at right


INCREASING PARKING MAIN CONCERN

After a brief preliminary presentation at Centennial Hall on the Faulkner campus, planning consultant Dan Burden (click) took a group of city staff and other stakeholders on a tour of the downtown area to evaluate parking/transportation issues and offer some possible solutions.

ideas gathered first
Some of the highlights included:

* A 40% increase in parking capacity could be found all around the college campus by reducing the size of spaces by a foot and moving the sidewalks back to allow for perpendicular parking instead of angled: new spaces could be added on Morphy Ave. as well.

* Bike racks could be added at the corner of Johnson and Bancroft Streets and on Section Street outside the French Quarter on un-used space if maintenance and drainage issues can be worked out.

group photo
* 40 more parking places could be added to De La Mare Street by adding angled parking on one side only (or alternating sides).

* 40% more parking may be available in the lot adjacent community park as well (across from the K-1).

* Use of the parking deck can be maximized by cleaning up and "beautifying" the deck itself and its entrances -- and the adjacent alley and store backsides.

* Adding plant material and artwork -- and shading to the upper level of the garage could increase use of the facility.

* A new entrance to the garage from Magnolia Ave. may be possible.

* Making the driveway access from Section St. two-way recommended.

* A raised crosswalk across Section St. would provide improved access to the garage.


After the tour, city staff met with Burden's team engineer to  discuss implementation methods; a final presentation for the general public will be made Monday at 8AM in the Civic Center.



Add 40% more spaces around college?

Add 40 spaces to De La Mare Street?

New access point to garage from Magnolia Ave.?




"Beautify" spartan garage area?

Make existing east access driveway two way?

Burden and Public Works Director Fidler
Upper level not used





Comments

Anonymous said…
There goes my car sides. Parking spaces so small now, your car side is totally destroyed by people who "don't" care if their doors bang into the side of your car. This city is so stupid. I paid good money for my car to have it destroyed by someone. Simple, put in some more parking decks at Faulkner, K-1 and even consider something by the library. The parking spaces are too small now as they are. Better yet, quit promoting Fairhope as a tourist spot. I mean, what do they have to offer but the stinky bay at the pier and some high priced restaurants that the average citizen can't even afford to eat at. Get rid of the damn yuppies wanting this and that. How about thinking about the people that were born and raised here! This is not a "tourist" attraction. The flowers and clocks don't bring money into the city. How many tourist actually spend money here? Excuse my rant! I'm tired of the elitist and want MY city back.
Thursday, April 07, 2016
Anonymous said…
Parking availability has never been an issue for me in Fairhope unless there's a major event going on, and even then it's still somewhat manageable. What has been a problem, however, is the narrowness of certain roads due to parking spaces. The way cars are parked on S Bancroft St practically forces drivers to use a part of the opposite lane in order to avoid colliding with the parked cars. Oh, and I love the irony of people complaining about tourists and then labeling them the elitists.
Friday, April 08, 2016
Anonymous said…
There is no reason not to return to 2 hour time limits like it was years ago.....

college students would have to park inn the garage then.

all problems solved.
Friday, April 08, 2016
Anonymous said…
Don't we have enough landscape architects and parking experts to figure this out in-house?

More narrow spaces are not a good idea.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Roscoe said…
It must be nice to not have to go to work, and have time to walk around town complaining about every little thing. Talk about self importance with those vests!
Monday, April 11, 2016
Anonymous said…
the best and simplest solution to all parking proplems is to simply go back to timed parking , 2 or 3 hours limit, but we seem never do the sensible things arou8nd here.

well connected downtown business owners call the shots and the rest of the town gets ignored by the politicians.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Anonymous said…
A good point. We grew up here and would like to shop local but can not because all of the spaces in front of your shops are taken up by the tourists all day long.

who is looking out for us locals?
Monday, April 11, 2016
Anonymous said…
Some of you are acting like you are entitled to something because you live here. Welcoming others is part of that heritage and ought to be embraced in my opinion. I have personally never used the parking garage but only shop or dine in Fairhope once a week. The angry people responding to this article seem lazy to me. Walk a block or three people! You have NO IDEA what parking problems really are.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Anonymous said…
Yes, I'm entitled to something because I live here. Why should we always cater to the tourist? I live here, they don't. This is my pharmacy that I have used for 40+ years. Do they? I can't afford the local shops anymore because of the tourist. I don't have a problem walking, but don't like the fact that I have to park 4 blocks away to pick up a RX. Yeah, I could go to Wally world or CVS, etc, but do TRY to support our locals with some business.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Anonymous said…
Agreed! No way to shop-local anymore because all of the parking spaces are taken up all day by the tourists!!!

Have to drive to Walmart to find parking. There lot is humongous!
Monday, April 11, 2016
Clarence said…
Glad I'm not the only local feeling displaced by the tourists. It's going to get worse with the way our politicians keep farming our image out, and we win all these awards for "best place to retire" and so on. Us locals that BUILT this town can barely afford to live in it, let alone shop downtown. I can't tell you the last time I spent a dime downtown because there is no parking, and nothing I can even afford. It's all for the tourists and elitists. Locals are just here to serve them.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
Y'all sound whiny. The sentiment I seem to get is that, 1. there is not enough parking to accommodate locals and tourists, 2. there are too many tourists, and 3. the politicians and shops cater to the tourists. Well y'all are pansies. You can go downtown on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning and it is easy to get to "your" pharmacy. Have you ever asked the shop owners how they feel? I bet they LOVE the tourists. Know another reason why Fairhope is so great? It is because of the dollars those tourists pump into the economy. You fuddy duddies need to get over yourselves and enjoy what we have. The parking isn't so bad - nor are the tourists. (nor are their dollars) Let me tell you a little secret - Fairhope will NOT go backwards. You need to embrace what is going on and become part of the solution or go start your own single tax colony somewhere else.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
They need to commercialize Greeno Road if Fairhope is NOT going to go backwards. The mayor and council need to EMBRACE that idea so Fairhope can continue to grow and accommodate some of these "tourist".
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
Fairhope isn't moving forward its gone backwards, very backwards for about 20 years now.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
There is a reason why people live in gated communities and subdivisions have strict regulations, to preserve a way of life. Fairhope sold its soul for money and so called prestige.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
The elitists living in the cut off, sprawling subdivisions and dead end cul de sacs are what is destroying the town.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
Lots of very sour grapes about the so called elitists who enjoy the new Fairhope and can afford to eat in the nice restaurants and shop at the nice stores in our downtown. Fairhope is so much better than having the town dry up and blow away like so many other small towns in this region that never change and cater to the "locals".
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
Maybe all of us "local" ought to just move out and leave it up the new upstarts moving in, tearing down all the quaintness of the old neighborhoods?
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
You know, at one time you could shop in downtown Fairhope for all your needs -Bedsole & Gwin, Town and Country, the Harbor Shop for gifts and kitchen accessories just to name a few. Not anymore. Sad, sad, sad.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Anonymous said…
Yep. Our leadership is more worried about giving parking to tourists and college students now than the rest of us.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
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