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Council reopens North Shore Trail parking debate and approves owner-funded parallel parking with EDA option
Summary
After reopening a previously tied vote, the council approved an agreement to allow an owner (referred to as Peets) to install parallel parking on North Shore Trail at the owner’s expense while permitting the Economic Development Authority to consider partial support; debate centered on safety, precedent and whether the city should reward property owners who used the right-of-way without prior permission.
Council members reopened a previously tied vote on parallel parking along North Shore Trail after staff reported there is no current ordinance explicitly prohibiting parking on that stretch of roadway. City attorney Amanda told the council the new information could justify reconsideration because it changes the factual basis for the prior decision.
Council debate focused on safety, the history of parking in the area and whether authorizing parking now would reward a business owner who placed material in the right-of-way without city permission. Council member Miller argued against rewarding bad behavior, saying the city should not subsidize or otherwise benefit a party that acted without approval; Miller said: "I don't think we should be rewarding bad behavior...the owner of that property, without permission from the city, went out and put down a bunch of material and started using our public right away for his personal business."
Staff reported an adjacent landowner had executed an agreement accepting responsibility for the improvements and that the EDA application could provide up to 50% support or $10,000 (EDA support was discussed but not guaranteed). After discussion, Council member Erickson moved to enter into the agreement with the owner at 8241 North Shore Trail (referred to as Peets) to allow paving for parallel parking at the owner's expense and retain the EDA-review language; the motion passed on roll-call: Erickson Aye, Larson Negative, Miller No, Valento Aye, Mayor Roberts Aye.
