During the SAC meetings parking space requirements were mentioned often in the discussions on building sq. footage. Driving by Sundial a few weeks ago on a concert Wednesday night I noticed all the cars parked on the surrounding streets. Hearing about the distance to Sundial people had to park to attend the exchange meeting got me thinking. Obviously there is not an adequate number of parking spots on Sundial property to handle the crowds. How safe is this for emergency situations? Anyone else concerned about this? Just curious.
What the meeting did was expose was just how critical every remodel we do is, and how compromised it will be by the size of the buildings and the amenities included. The Sun Dial Auditorium used to be fire rated somewhere around 1500-1600. Mind you, that's just the 3 part auditorium. There's the entire other half of the building where the pool is. The RCSC is grandfathered by virtue of when the buildings were built, but if and when anything is rebuilt, the parking codes kick in. The parking lot there is huge yet it was jammed by 8:30 and when i drove through the church lot across the street at 8:50 and there wasn't a single spot there either. Lots of members were parking on the street, clearly marked with no parking signs. Thank goodness the Sheriff's department stayed away. The side streets, where parking is allowed, were filling up pretty good as well. It was crazy. I know during SAC some folks thought the parking concerns was BS, but large indoor spaces will always be problematic. We saw it up close and personal when Fairway opened and anytime we start lobbying for new indoor space, parking will be a factor. Dog arena or indoor pickleball courts, doesn't matter; the square footage will dictate the lot size needed and the required parking will need to meet state codes.
Thanks Bill, and the concerts also draw quite a crowd and street parking is substantial. Seems an emergency vehicle might have tough time maneuvering in the area.
A while back a parking study was done to show how much additional roof space could be handled by each center. I think we published this as a part of the SAC. I found it fascinating. The other factor that can be limiting is water retainage requirements.
To Tom's concern: I have to believe the fire department is fully on top of where their necessary vehicles can maneuver and fit - as long as no one is in a no parking area. And I'd like to believe it wouldn't take much effort for one of those trucks to 'relocate' a car in their way. Personally, being a "youngster" around here, when I see a lot filling up I purposefully park a few blocks away and walk. Being mindful of those that can't seems like a community thing to do. I despise the codes that create a barren ugly wasteland of blacktop that only gets used occasionally.
