Parking Committee Members,
On August 6, 2007, we sent to Chris Fletcher (then City Planner) the attached recommendation for bicycle storage in multi-family dwellings. That recommendation became Morgantown ordinance
1349.08 PARKING AND LOADING STANDARDS.
Unfortunately, our recommendation was for multi-family dwellings in areas zoned B-4 and we recently learned that only downtown is zoned B-4. So, that ordinance does not apply to multi-family dwellings such as the new BeechView and any other buildings around town that aren't in areas zoned B-4.
Don Spencer has met with Chris Fletcher to try to get the areas expanded. Chris doesn't want to do it. He does not like the standards in B-4 and does not feel that he has adequate justification to address changing standards for bike “parking” in multi-family construction outside of B-4 in a facility like Beech View. Don explained to him that the issue is not just parking but also bike storage. It is not safe to leave a $500 bike in an open garage night after night, week after week. There needs to be other lock-up storage provided or else hooks in bed rooms, etc.
Chris also feels that his office is being put in the middle between the Bike Board and the developers. He says that the Bicycle Board should be doing the education of the Planning Commission members and for the developers on the matter if the Bicycle Board feels strongly about the importance of the parking.
Personally, I think that being in the middle between the BB and developers is exactly where Chris should be. The BB advises the TC and the TC advises the City Manager who is Chris' boss. I agree that we should educate Chris but not that we should get between him and the developers.
I would like to arrange for the Parking Committee to meet with Chris Fletcher. I will set up a Doodle to find a date. Maybe waiting for the June BB meeting would be a better idea. You tell me.
I will meet with Chris this week. My desired outcome for our meeting is that we have an agreement that the BB will educate him and the Planning Commission on bicycle storage by presenting a compelling case based on successes in other cities. I think this could be quite fun because Ken Martis and Jenny Selin are Planning Commission members. From working with Ken on the TC, I expect he would be very enthusiastic about our presentation and we already know that Jenny is on our side since she worked so hard with us to get the downtown parking rings done.
ASAP, I would like to get prepared for the education meeting with the Planning Commission. if you have any bicycle storage standards, best practices, examples, case studies, etc. that would substantiate our recommendation, could you please send it to me? I will upload them to the Dropbox,
https://www.dropbox.com/home#/Public/BicycleStorage::: I remember that we had good stuff when we made the attached recommendation but I no longer have any of that stuff. I only remember that I found some stuff on Pgh. I will search for that again and put it in the Dropbox as well.
Frank D. Gmeindl
Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board
LCI #1703
491 WilsonAvenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles