The Lincoln City Council is scheduled Aug. 8, to consider a resolution that would establish parking and traffic control measures for a portion of NW Quay Drive, from Highway 101 to NW 32nd Street.
The resolution would prohibit on-street parking on both sides of the street of NW Quay Drive between Highway 101 and NW 32nd Street. The council discussed the resolution Monday, July 25, and voted to consider it during the August public meeting.
A Lincoln City Council meeting is set for Monday, Aug. 8 to discuss parking and traffic issues along NW Quay Drive.
Jeremy C. Ruark / The News Guard
The area is a residential neighborhood near a commercial development, Oceanlake Veterinary Clinic, separated by NW Quay Drive. The right of way is 30-feet wide. The pavement is between 16-20-feet wide. The city standards require a minimum 20-foot travel lane, according to information from the city.
The city engineer determined there is inadequate street width to permit on-street parking on either side of the street. It was recommended that the council prohibit on-street parking on both sides of Quay Drive from Highway 101 to NW 32nd Street.
Several citizens voiced their concerns about the resolution during the public comment period. Concerns included not having enough room for emergency vehicles to pass through if the parking is allowed, the narrowness of the road and a lack of notice to the public. Oceanlake Veterinary Clinic would like to continue parking along the street.
Lincoln City City Attorney Richard Appicello said the city has been conducting traffic control surveys over the last six years.
“In the last couple of years especially, we had a bunch of traffic control resolutions in Olivia Beach,” Appicello said. “The council actually had a work session on parking in the fall of 2020, I believe.”
After the work session, staff came back with recommended traffic control measures for certain segments.
The code is clear that the council has the authority to regulate right of way, Appicello added. The city has not granted any uses for parking in the right of way for Oceanlake Veterinary Clinic.
“We do traffic control based upon actual measurement of the right of way and safety and city engineer considerations,” Appicello said. “When these things get brought to our attention, we exercise traffic control authority.”
Mayor Susan Wahlke said notice was not required but there was a verbal agreement to give neighbors and the veterinary clinic a week’s notice. The public works department sent a courtesy notice to neighbors of the city council meeting. The letter referenced the resolution.
Appicello said there was a reference during public comment that public works told the clinic they could park along the street but the city has not granted any uses for parking for the clinic.
“The way our code is written now, we need 20 feet of unobstructed right of way,” Lincoln City Public Works Director Stephanie Reid said. “Quay is currently paved between 18-20 feet wide only. The entire right of way is 30 feet wide.”
Because of the way the right of way sits, there is no room for a car to park without impacting that 20 feet, Reid added. This is from the fire code.
“The off-street parking requirement is specifically one space per 400 square feet of useful floor area, plus one space per employee,” Lincoln City Planning and Community Development Director Anne Marie Skinner said. “When the applicant submitted the development review application, they showed 16 off-street parking spaces. Their application provided the calculations showing that 16 off-street parking spaces were required.”
Clinic operators had stated that they had 11 employees. Eleven of the 16 spaces met the requirement. Reid said the intent was that the clinic would not park along the street.
Lincoln City City Councilor Mitch Parsons said it has been a goal of the council to have more public input. He suggested continuing the discussion at the next meeting.
The council voted and agreed to continue the discussion at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8.
The council meets at Lincoln City Hall, 801 SE Highway 101. For more information, call 541-996-2151.
