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Anyone who has hunted for a parking space in downtown Grass Valley could get relief under a plan being explored by the city.
In about three months, a Reno company will present a proposal to install an electronic system to monitor downtown parking. While such a system could be used to impose metered parking, the fate of Grass Valley's 3-hour free parking on streets and at city lots has yet to be decided.
But an electronic system also could offer perks, including safe bicycle storage and a way for shoppers to find open spaces using their cell phones.
Parking availability has been a key concern expressed by area merchants over the years.
Grass Valley will pay Secure Storage Technologies LLC $15,000 to meet with shoppers, residents and downtown merchants; from their study, they will develop a parking management plan that would fit local needs.
If city officials eventually hand Secure Storage a contract to install a system, the company estimated a cost of about $403,000.
Because the details of such a system remain to be worked out, it was unclear how much revenue it could bring to the city.
City Council members approved the contract 3-1 at their meeting late Tuesday, with Councilman Jason Fouyer dissenting and Councilman Dan Miller absent.
Downtown Grass Valley has 458 public parking spaces; 226 spaces are in parking lots and 232 spaces are on city streets, according to city documents.
During peak, midday hours, about 80 percent to 90 percent of those spaces are occupied, according to a 2007 parking study (available at the city's website, www.CityofGrassValley.com).
Of those spaces, more than half are used for about an hour, while another third are used for more than two hours, Community Development Director Joe Heckel said Wednesday.
Secure Storage's system relies on sensors set into the street — installation takes about 5 minutes per parking space, according to the company website, www.SecureStorageTech.com — that send data to a central point about when a space is occupied and when the vehicle leaves it.
Motorists would pay at a nearby kiosk and can use money, credit cards or other methods; permits can be incorporated in to the system.
The system also can be easily monitored, alerting police to infractions as soon as they occur, according to the website.
“It's fairly cutting-edge,” Heckel said.
Through the system, merchants can offer parking validation, and officials can structure fees differently for special times or events.
The first of two public workshops are expected before the end of March, according to the city's contract.
Exactly how the system would be used, and whether parking fees would be imposed, or even whether the city installs the system at all, would be determined after the management plan is submitted, scheduled for May.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4230.
In about three months, a Reno company will present a proposal to install an electronic system to monitor downtown parking. While such a system could be used to impose metered parking, the fate of Grass Valley's 3-hour free parking on streets and at city lots has yet to be decided.
But an electronic system also could offer perks, including safe bicycle storage and a way for shoppers to find open spaces using their cell phones.
Parking availability has been a key concern expressed by area merchants over the years.
Grass Valley will pay Secure Storage Technologies LLC $15,000 to meet with shoppers, residents and downtown merchants; from their study, they will develop a parking management plan that would fit local needs.
If city officials eventually hand Secure Storage a contract to install a system, the company estimated a cost of about $403,000.
Because the details of such a system remain to be worked out, it was unclear how much revenue it could bring to the city.
City Council members approved the contract 3-1 at their meeting late Tuesday, with Councilman Jason Fouyer dissenting and Councilman Dan Miller absent.
Downtown Grass Valley has 458 public parking spaces; 226 spaces are in parking lots and 232 spaces are on city streets, according to city documents.
During peak, midday hours, about 80 percent to 90 percent of those spaces are occupied, according to a 2007 parking study (available at the city's website, www.CityofGrassValley.com).
Of those spaces, more than half are used for about an hour, while another third are used for more than two hours, Community Development Director Joe Heckel said Wednesday.
Secure Storage's system relies on sensors set into the street — installation takes about 5 minutes per parking space, according to the company website, www.SecureStorageTech.com — that send data to a central point about when a space is occupied and when the vehicle leaves it.
Motorists would pay at a nearby kiosk and can use money, credit cards or other methods; permits can be incorporated in to the system.
The system also can be easily monitored, alerting police to infractions as soon as they occur, according to the website.
“It's fairly cutting-edge,” Heckel said.
Through the system, merchants can offer parking validation, and officials can structure fees differently for special times or events.
The first of two public workshops are expected before the end of March, according to the city's contract.
Exactly how the system would be used, and whether parking fees would be imposed, or even whether the city installs the system at all, would be determined after the management plan is submitted, scheduled for May.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4230.
